UK to fast-track reservoir projects amid historic water shortages

A dry basin in North Yorkshire, England, from 2022. Image: Adobe Stock

The two schemes – said to be the first major new reservoirs approved in over 30 years – have been declared “nationally significant infrastructure projects” allowing approvals to bypass standard local planning processes.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said the decision was necessary to avoid running short on essential water supply.

“If we don’t build the reservoirs, we’re going to be running out of the drinking water that we need by the mid-2030s,” she told the BBC, adding the plan is to slash “red tape to make the planning process faster.”

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The government said nine reservoirs are planned in total by 2050, part of a broader strategy to deliver 670 million litres of new daily supply.

David Porter, senior vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, told BBC, “Reservoir projects are very complex infrastructure projects that are slow to take forward, and so anything that can be done to streamline that process can be a positive thing.”

The Fens Reservoir project is led by Anglian Water and Cambridge Water and would supply 87 million litres of water per day. The Lincolnshire Reservoir, also led by Anglian Water, is designed to deliver up to 166 million litres daily. Both projects are expected to include associated infrastructure such as treatment facilities, distribution systems, and access works.

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While these two developments should provide additional water coverage, demand from population growth, data centres, and industrial use is presumed to increase calls for broader network upgrades.

The UK Meteorological Office has also warned that climate change is expected to drive more frequent and intense droughts, as highlighted by this year’s exceptionally dry spring in northwest England.

Experts and environmental groups have raised concerns about the scale and governance of the push, including overlooking local input.

Dr Glenn Watts of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said the reservoirs “would provide more resilience to future droughts in a part of the country that is already dry and where there is high demand for water.”

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Hardy added that the reservoir plan forms part of a £104 billion (US$118 billion) investment into the UK’s water sector, aimed at tackling leaks, reducing consumption, and supporting long-term economic growth.

For the construction industry, the long lead times and large scope of these projects – from initial groundworks to long-term delivery networks – suggest multi-year engagement potential for firms experienced in water infrastructure.

The Fens Reservoir in Cambridgeshire is scheduled for completion in 2036, while the Lincolnshire Reservoir is expected by 2040. Together, they are expected to provide enough drinking water for 750,000 homes in some of England’s driest regions.

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