Stephen Schwarzman, a 79-year-old American private equity mogul, is facing intense criticism for trucking thousands of galons of water to his Wiltshire estate. While local residents endure strict water restrictions during a severe drought, the billionaire's property remains lush.
The 13,000-gallon daily import at Conholt Park
According to the report, Stephen Schwarzman has been importing up to 13,000 gallons of water every day to maintain his country estate, Conholt Park, located near Andover. This massive daily intake has infuriated local residents who are currently struggling with hosepipe bans triggered by the warmest spring on record. The disparity in resource access has become a visual flashpoint for the community.
Steve Kershaw, a resident of the nearby village of Tangley, noted that the grounds of Conholt Park appear significantly greener than the bleached lawns of neighboring homes... This contrast highlights a growing tension in Wiltshire, where the ability to bypass environmental restrictions through private wealth is becoming a point of local contention.
Southern Water's crackdown on tanker standpipes
The controversy intensified after Stephen Schwarzman admitted to using a "small proportion" of the tankered water to fill an ornamental lake on his property. As reported, this admission led Southern Water to take direct action by banning the delivery companies involved from accessing its standpipes to fill their tankers.
This regulatory move by Southern Water suggests that the utility provider viewed the billionaire's water procurement as an abuse of public infrastructure during a period of scarcity. While the estate is officially supplied by Wessex Water—which has not imposed a hosepipe ban on the property—the use of third-party tankers to supplement the supply has been seen as a violation of the spirit of national water conservation appeals.
A 2,100-acre estate within the Environment Agency's drought zone
The scale of the operation is immense, with tankered water now being used to sustain newly planted trees across the 2,100-acre grounds of Conholt Park. This activity occurs despite the fact that the estate falls within a southern England drought area specifically identified by the Environment Agency last week.
This situation echoes a broader global trend where ultra-high-net-worth individuals utilize private logistics to "climate-proof" their assets. While some locals have praised Stephen Schwarzman for creating jobs and engaging with local councils, the optics of maintaining a massive green oasis in a designated drought zone create a stark divide between the billionaire's experience and that of the general public.
The mystery of Greens H20's 30,000-litre trucks
Significant questions remain regarding the origin of the water being delivered to the estate. The tanker firm Greens H20, which utilizes 30,000-litre trucks for daily deliveries to Conholt Park, has not responded to requests for comment regarding where they are sourcing their water.
Because Southern Water has banned these tankers from its standpipes, it remains unclear if Greens H20 is drawing water from private boreholes or transporting it from regions not currently affected by drought.. The lack of transparency from Greens H20 leaves a critical gap in the story: whether the billionaire is simply moving a water shortage from one geography to another to maintain his Wiltshire landscape.
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