Anglian Water - new reservoirs plans
Anglian Water plans to build two new reservoirs in the East of England, one in the Fens in partnership with Cambridge Water, and another in Lincolnshire, are progressing well and we’ll soon be moving to consultation.
To provide an overview of the projects and help our stakeholders prepare for public consultation in the autumn, Anglian Water have produced a stakeholder briefing pack which can be found here.
This pack is a useful guide to the proposed reservoir projects, and gives a summary of why they are needed, the benefits they could bring and the factors Anglian Water have considered to identify locations.
Further information about the proposals can be found on the Anglian Water website here: www.anglianwater.co.uk/new-
Below are some Questions and Answers from Anglian Water.
Q. What planning process will the reservoirs go through?
A. Both projects are classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). In order to build them, we would need to apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO).
Q. What water sources will be used to fill the reservoirs?
A. We plan for the Lincolnshire reservoir to be fed from the River Witham, supported in turn by the River Trent. The Fens reservoir will be served primarily from the Great Ouse catchment. The abstraction will mostly be taken in the winter and stored up for use in the summer and dry periods.
Q. When will the location of the reservoirs be announced?
A. We are preparing to launch our first phase of consultation in the autumn. We will announce the proposed locations for the reservoirs at this point. The consultation will ask for feedback on our proposed locations, the concept designs for each reservoir and the benefits they could create.
Q. When will you notify potentially affected landowners?
A. We will contact potentially affected landowners and occupiers in the coming days. We will also notify appropriate elected representatives, so that they can be prepared to offer assistance if called upon.
Q. How will the reservoir projects be funded?
A. The cost of the projects will ultimately be funded via water company customer bills, given that our customers will benefit from these supplies. In order to ensure the best possible value through a competitive process, our regulator Ofwat has proposed delivery mechanisms which involve third party providers delivering, owning and maintaining these assets.
Q. How will seldom heard groups be consulted?
A. As part of our ongoing conversations with local authorities, we’ve been exploring how we can best ensure that our consultation in the autumn provides an opportunity for everyone to share their thoughts on our proposals. We’ve identified a shortlist of approximately 50 seldom heard groups per reservoir and are contacting these groups to ask for their guidance on how best to engage with the people they represent.
Q. How will leakage be prevented? Is Anglian Water still focused on current water delivery?
A. Anglian Water continue to lead the water sector in tackling leakage, exceeding our regulatory targets in excess of 10 years running with water lost per kilometre at half the national average.
Q. Will both reservoirs serve Anglian Water customers and what increase in water supply will they provide?
A. Both reservoir projects combined will provide an additional 210 million litres of water per day to Anglian Water customers, with 160 million litres from the Lincolnshire reservoir and 50 million litres from the reservoir in the Fens. The proposed new reservoir in the Fens is being developed in partnership with Cambridge Water and would supply water to both Anglian Water and Cambridge Water customers.
Q. Will the new reservoirs create new jobs for local people?
A. Our ambition is that both the construction phase and longer-term operation of the reservoirs will create significant opportunities for job creation in the region.
Q. As the reservoirs will not be fully operational until the mid-2030s, what is your interim solution to ensure sufficient water supply?
A. We’re working with our customers to reduce water consumption and are leading the industry on reducing leakage. We have committed £7.5million to 49 flood protection schemes. Work is already underway in a half-billion-pound investment to lay hundreds of kilometres of new, interconnecting pipes to bring water from the wettest areas in the north of Lincolnshire to the drier areas in the south and east. We are also installing over one million smart meters in customer homes, and delivering a multitude of abstraction reduction programmes.