Reservoir plans fast-tracked as we could run out of water 'in next decade'
The Environment Agency has predicted a shortfall of almost five billion litres a day by 2050 as drier summers caused by the climate crisis has put the country at risk
Without any new reservoirs parts of the UK would have been forced to experience extreme rationing to ensure there was enough drinking water, the government has warned.
Emma Hardy, the minister for water and flooding, said that without the action the government is taking, the South East and East Anglia would have been under serious risk of water scarcity by 'the middle of the next decade', requiring Mediterranean-style rationing to ensure people had enough drinking water. The lack of reservoir capacity, combined with a rising population and drier summers caused by climate breakdown, has put the country at risk of water shortages.
She added that years of underinvestment had left the country at risk of seasonal shortages, hosepipe bans and an inadequate supply of clean drinking water.
The minister has announced the fast track construction of two new reservoirs, with another seven to come before 2050, after a three-decade period in which none were built. Work has already started on Havant Thicket reservoir in Hampshire, which is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.
She said: 'The alternative is, you know, carry on as we have in the last 14 years. Do nothing. Let nothing happen. No reservoirs being built... And what do we end up with? A situation of rationing, more hosepipe bans, the situation that we see happening in different countries in the Mediterranean… I'm not prepared to let that happen under my watch.'
Persistent drought in Sicily last summer meant the water supply was turned on only once a week. Residents were told not to wash their clothes and to flush their toilets only infrequently.
Experts warned in recent weeks of an impending UK drought this summer if there was not significant rainfall soon, with some reservoirs in the north of the country at worryingly low levels. The environment minister, Steve Reed, confirmed he has awarded the status of 'nationally significant' to two new reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire and ordered they go ahead. These will be the first to be built since 1992.
The government said this would shore up water resources for more than 750,000 homes in England's most water-stressed areas. Without more capacity, the UK will be at risk of running out of water in the medium term. The Environment Agency has predicted a shortfall of almost five billion litres a day by 2050.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: 'We are backing the builders not the blockers, intervening in the national interest and slashing red tape to make the planning process faster to unblock nine new reservoirs... This Government will secure our water supply for future generations and unlock the building of thousands of homes as part of the Plan for Change."
Anglian Water is proposing to build the Lincolnshire Reservoir to the south of Sleaford, aiming to be operational by 2040. The firm has also partnered with Cambridge Water to propose the Fens Reservoir, located between the towns of Chatteris and March, set to be completed in 2036.
The Lincolnshire Reservoir would provide up to 166 million litres of water per day for up to 500,000 homes – that is the equivalent of more than 664 million cups of tea per day. The Fens would supply a much needed 87 million litres to 250,000 homes in the driest region of the UK. Both projects will now progress to the consultation phase, where developers gather views from communities and stakeholders.
Water companies have committed to bring nine new reservoirs online by 2050, in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Kent, East Sussex and the West Midlands and Somerset. These reservoirs alone have the potential to provide 670 million litres of extra water per day.
The water industry has also welcomed the announcement. "It's absolutely critical that we build these reservoirs now," David Henderson, chief executive of Water UK.
"If we don't build them now, we wait another 10 years, it's going to cost even more, so we can't keep kicking the can down the road any longer."
Some experts warn that managing how we use water needs to take greater precedence in a warming climate. "We need a complete overhaul of the way we use water, to plug leaks, cut down on waste and store water where it falls as rain," said Prof Hannah Cloke of the University of Reading.
"It would be better to make more difficult decisions around regulation of new building, as well as retrofitting older homes and businesses, to cut waste and recycle water where it is used, rather than pumping water across huge distances."
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2 days ago
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Mapped: Where hosepipe bans could come into effect after major drought warning
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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected
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While the UK has seen hot and sunny weather across the country the North West has been the worst affected Credit: Alamy 6 An old road and walls and buildings that were once part of Mardale village have been revealed by drought Credit: Getty Groundwater levels and river flows have been declining caused by the dry conditions in March, April and early May. Storage levels in reservoirs in the region have also been receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years. There are currently no hose pipe bans in force in any part of the UK but earlier this month the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies. Water companies are responsible for imposing any water restrictions, such as a hose pipe ban, which can restrict water usage. Companies can enforce a Temporary Use Ban using the guidelines set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. 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Defra uses four stages to describe and manage any response: Prolonged dry weather – this period is characterised as the early stages of drought where we find there has been a period of dry weather and this is impacting on river flows, groundwater levels and water levels in lakes and reservoirs. Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. 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The Sun
2 days ago
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Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected
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Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. It was popular with the locals as it was used by famers and hunters in the area to host fairs, dances, feasts as well as sales. Not everyone was happy with the village being destroyed as renowned fell walker Alfred Wainwright protested the move, having visited Mardale Green in 1930. He described the destruction of the village as 'the rape of Mardale'. The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022. 6 6 6
