Any company thinking it might change water supplier will have many considerations in mind, not least the reliability of supplies. Nothing can be worse for a heavy user of water than to suddenly find it cannot access what it needs for production purposes, or, in the case of customers like golf courses, the means of maintaining its facilities.
This is why the performance of suppliers in avoiding major leaks and failures in their water distribution systems is an important consideration when considering whether to stay with an existing supplier or seek a new one. While price is also a factor, nothing matters more than actually getting the H2O on tap every time.
However, as we have previously noted, the issue of supplies in the future in a changing climate and amid a growing population is a real one, which has seen the government make some major pledges to build new reservoirs.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently emphasised the government’s support for nine new reservoirs in the Midlands and south, the first to be built in three decades, as part of a major infrastructure drive.
Abingdon Reservoir Faces Ongoing Opposition
However, as with any infrastructure project, questions will always be asked about whether it can be delivered at all, let alone on time and on budget. This is not just a matter of the planning system, as sometimes getting planning permission is the comparatively easy part.
All too often, projects are caught up in controversy, red tape and even (as in the case of HS2) attempts at outright sabotage. Building new reservoirs impacts on landscapes, normally rural, and while some may appreciate the attractions of a body of water – national parks like the Lake District and the Broads are all about them – others take a different view.
This is certainly the case when it comes to some of the proposed reservoirs. Despite planning permission being granted for the Thames Water reservoir near Abingdon, opponents remain determined to thwart the plans any way they can, with the support of the local Liberal Democrat MP and councillors.
As the Oxford Mail reports, pressure groups Safer Waters, GARD (Group Against Reservoir Development) and the Oxfordshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) are continuing to call for a judicial review of the decision to grant planning permission.
Opponents Speak Out
GARD Spokesman Derek Stork argued that Thames Water’s own projections on population and demand – which he described as “disputed and exaggerated” – suggest no new reservoir will be needed until 2050. He suggested smaller and cheaper projects should take priority.
He added: “This money is better spent on investment in sewage pollution control infrastructure, and more aggressive fixing of Thames Water’s intolerable level of leakage.”
CPRE Oxfordshire said there was a clear environmental case against the project, stating: “It would be the biggest reservoir in Europe and its construction would threaten over 200 veteran and ancient trees in the area, along with the wildlife that depend on them.”
The organisation also claimed it would raise the local groundwater levels by a metre, increasing flood risks in the area.
A Less Thorny Time For The Thicket
Not every new reservoir faces such hostility. In some cases, projects may push ahead more easily through smart alterations to the original plans. A case in point is the Havant Thicket Reservoir in Hampshire, for which planning permission was granted in 2021.
Work has now begun on excavating the reservoir itself, following two years of enabling works but, as the Portsmouth News reports, Portsmouth Water has submitted a planning application to use new micro-boring technology to establish a twin pipeline that will tap local springs to fill the reservoir. This is designed to reduce disruption to local communities.
The scheme has not faced the sort of controversy that Abingdon has, which may have as much to do with the fact that it is not associated with the cash-strapped, poorly-performing Thames Water as the much smaller scale, which will barely place it in the largest 50 reservoirs in England.
Nonetheless, improvements in construction work may help it continue to steer clear of the sort of rows that continue in Oxfordshire.
Reservoirs Are Partnership Projects
Firms choosing water suppliers may look closely at these issues when considering the future. Projects of this kind are seldom down to one company; for instance, the Havant Thicket project involves a partnership between Southern Water and Portsmouth Water. Therefore, your decisions should not just consider what one single company is doing.
Reservoir projects have often been controversial. In days past, whole villages have been abandoned while valleys have been flooded and existing lakes expanded, such as Mardale Green when Haweswater was established in the 1940s.
Nothing quite like this is being proposed now, but that does not mean securing new supplies will be an easy ride without hurdles to overcome.
