After the UK’s sunniest (and driest) spring ever, we could be in for an even sunnier, drier summer. March was the most dry it has been since 1961, while April received just half its normal rainfall. And, we hate to be downers, but if the lack of rain continues there’s an increasing likelihood that the country could face a drought over the coming months.
So, the UK needs more reservoirs. The UK hasn’t built a major reservoir in more than 30 years, but with a rising population and a hotter climate, the government has announced plans to fast-track the building of nine new reservoirs across England. It said that without a major overhaul, the UK ‘could run out of clean drinking water by the middle of the next decade’.
The first two new reservoirs will be built in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. The building of thousands of homes in both areas is on hold right now because they’re isn’t enough water supply for them.
Cambridgeshire’s new Fen Reservoir will sit between the towns of Chatteris and March and should be ready to go by 2036. Right now, the building of hundreds of homes there is on hold because of the limited water supply. Lincolnshire Reservoir will be built to the south of Sleaford and is expected to start working by 2040.
Seven more new reservoirs are being lined up to be built before 2050, including the smaller Havant Thicket reservoir in Hampshire where building is already underway. The others will be in Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Kent, East Sussex and the West Midlands with another two planned for Somerset.
Emma Hardy, the UK’s water minister, said: ‘Today 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.’
David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat said: ‘We welcome the clear focus the Government is placing upon accelerating the delivery of supply and resilience schemes that will meet our future water needs and support economic growth. Alongside the £2 billion of development funding announced at our 2024 Price Review, this will help us to deliver the largest programme of major water infrastructure projects - including nine new reservoirs - seen in decades.’
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