In the rolling English countryside, a controversy has bubbled up over water use that has locals, environmentalists, and a major utility all speaking out. The focus? Conholt Park, a sprawling 2,500-acre estate in Wiltshire owned by American billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, a man whose name is as synonymous with global finance as it is with political influence. Schwarzman, the founder of financial giant Blackstone and a prominent backer of former US President Donald Trump, has found himself at the center of a debate over who gets access to precious water resources in times of drought.
The story began to unfold when residents in Andover, Hampshire, started noticing an unusual uptick in the number of water tankers filling up from local standpipes—sometimes as many as 30 a day, by their count. According to BBC reporting, these tankers, operating both day and night, would then make the eight-mile journey across the county border to Conholt Park. The estate, purchased by Schwarzman in 2022 for an estimated £80 million, has been undergoing extensive renovations, including the construction of a new lake and the restoration of historic grounds.
It was the lake, in particular, that caught the attention—and ire—of locals. While Hampshire was under a strict domestic hosepipe ban due to drought, these tankers were legally extracting water under a license for construction work, a loophole that allowed them to bypass the restrictions faced by ordinary residents. As one local, Lawrence Leask, told the BBC, "We think there have been over 30 tankers a day, seven days a week. That's a lot of water. I worked out that 30 tankers means a million litres a day, something like that." Leask and his neighbors were so concerned that they began coordinating a network to document and film the tankers, hoping to bring attention to what they saw as an egregious misuse of resources.
Trevor Marshall, another resident, echoed the frustration: "At the same time we're on a hosepipe ban—it's incredibly outrageous." The sense of unfairness was palpable, particularly as locals watched their gardens wither while water was being trucked in for the benefit of a billionaire's private estate.
Southern Water, the utility responsible for supplying more than two million customers in the region, was first alerted to the situation by these vigilant residents. Managing Director Tim McMahon did not mince words in his response. "I'm appalled by this use of water," he said, as reported by both BBC and The Mirror. "It may not fall within hosepipe ban restrictions, but it's certainly not in the spirit of the incredible and ongoing community effort to save water across the county." McMahon announced an immediate ban on tankers abstracting water from the standpipes and pledged a thorough review of internal monitoring processes and legal loopholes. "While this disappointing occurrence is highly unusual and rare, I would like to reassure customers that I am leading a thorough review into how this happened, and how we can tighten up both our internal monitoring processes and any legal loopholes so that this cannot happen again."
For its part, the Schwarzman camp has maintained that no laws were broken. A spokesperson for the billionaire confirmed that a "small proportion of the water transported had very recently been used to help fill a new lake," but emphasized that "the water has been sourced through licenced providers responsible for the lawful and proper extraction and delivery." The spokesperson added that, following Southern Water's request, the supply of water to the lake had been adjusted, and that an advanced irrigation system is now being used to maintain the estate's landscaping. In a statement from Blackstone, the company asserted, "The suggestion that the new owners of Conholt Park violated water regulations is false and misleading. They have taken extraordinary care to ensure the restoration of the property complies with all local laws and regulations. Most recently, as construction winds down (expected to be completed very soon) a proportion of transported water has been used in connection with irrigation and the lake. The water has been sourced from multiple locations, largely outside the region. Any suggestion that the owners violated local water regulations would be false and misleading."
Despite these assurances, the optics of the situation have not been lost on the public. The sight of tankers rolling in to fill a billionaire's lake while average citizens face restrictions has struck a nerve. As The Mirror noted, residents captured footage of tankers arriving day and night, fueling speculation and resentment. The fact that the water was used not only for the lake but also for watering hedges and trees only added to the sense of disparity.
The legal distinction at the heart of the matter—between domestic and construction water use—has highlighted a gap in drought management policies. While the tankers' activities were technically within the law, McMahon and others have argued that such actions undermine the collective effort required to manage scarce resources during environmental crises. Southern Water has since imposed an immediate ban on such extractions and is in the process of reviewing and potentially tightening both monitoring and licensing procedures to prevent similar situations in the future.
The controversy has also shone a light on the broader issue of water rights and access in the UK, especially as climate change makes droughts more frequent and severe. For now, the immediate crisis at Conholt Park appears to be winding down, with construction nearing completion and new irrigation systems in place. However, the episode has left lingering questions about fairness, privilege, and the stewardship of shared resources.
As the dust settles, Southern Water has promised "robust conversations with those using this water and the companies working on their behalf," signaling that the matter is far from closed. For the residents of Andover and the surrounding areas, the hope is that their vigilance will lead to lasting changes in how water use is regulated during times of scarcity.
In a region where every drop counts, the events at Conholt Park serve as a stark reminder that, even in the green and pleasant land of England, water can be a flashpoint for controversy and a catalyst for change.
