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Drought response: Anglian Water unveils plans for two new reservoirs in East of England
Anglian Water has unveiled proposals to build two new reservoirs in the East of England, in a bid to improve water security in the region and respond to ongoing concerns that the nation isn’t resilient against the increased likelihood of prolonged drought.
After drought alerts were issued across parts of the UK last week, Anglian Water has announced plans to develop new reservoirs. One is set to be in the Fens and will see Anglian joining forces with Cambridge Water, the other will be located in Lincolnshire.
According to the firm, the new projects could supply water for at least 750,000 homes and will improve environmental stewardship by limiting the amount of water that Anglian would take from rivers and underground aquifers.
The water company claims the plans have been in development for 10 years and a site selection study will be published in the autumn. Anglian claims this will be the first of a multi-phase consultation on the proposals.
It builds on Anglian’s Water Resources Management Plans and regional plans spearheaded by Water Resources East. These plans account for the next 25 years and explore how the region can become more resilient to drought.
Anglian Water’s head of future resources strategy Hannah Stanley-Jones said: “These new reservoirs will supply drinking water, but they bring much wider opportunities. We plan to provide new places for people to visit and enjoy, economic investment for communities, and homes for wildlife. We have seen what a positive contribution our existing water parks can bring for the people living and working near them. We want to create the same with these new reservoirs.
Drought warnings: How can policy support UK farmers and food systems?
With the UK set to experience drought conditions until October, agriculture industry organisations are urging the Government to bring forward new interventions for a more sustainable food system.
The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology this week stated that much of the UK could experience drought conditions until the autumn, with rainfall and river levels set to remain low in the coming months – particularly in southern and central England.
According to the Met Office, the southeast of England has been the most affected, with 144 days with little or no rain of the 221 this year. South East Water and Southern Water have already confirmed hosepipe bans in response, with Thames Water expected to do so soon. Welsh Water has also taken this measure.
For households, this means that sprinklers and paddling pools are off the agenda. For food systems, the impact is likely to be far more serious.
Heatwaves in geographies including mainland Europe and India have already reduced yields for certain crops, including wheat, olives and rice. Russia’s war in Ukraine has also posed a major threat to global food security in 2022, disrupting supply chains for sunflower oil, wheat and fertilizer. In the UK, the National Farmers Union (NFU) is warning that the worst is still to come and that policymakers are not yet responding adequately.