New Reservoirs Could Help Battle Droughts, but at What Cost?

Construction workers are clearing trees and stumps in an ancient wood in Hampshire. Ecologists watch over the workers to make sure no bats or bird's nest are disturbed. They are building a road that will eventually lead to 160 hectares of grassland, which will be used by the utility company that manages the water supply here.

The water will naturally be sealed from the surrounding woodland because it sits in a valley. By 2029, it is expected to be filled by nearby springs. Up to 16 million liters of water a day can be supplied to around 160,000 people in the southeast of England.

It sounds like a lot, but only 160,000 people are on an island that has been experiencing water shortages. Farmers can't draw river water, and residents can't use hoses to water their cars, or fill up pools. It's a sign that the UK is going to need more water in the future This will be the first new building in southern England since the 1970s. At a time when more water is needed, it might seem like a simple solution to construct new ones.

Water companies in the United Kingdom have other projects in the works. It takes 10 years to be able to use the water after a new reservoir is built. The steel and chemical industries in the northeast of England were intended to be supplied with water from the Kielder Water Reservoir. The industries had shut down by the time it was inaugurated. The UK's largest artificial lake is visited by thousands of tourists each year.

It will cost over 120 million dollars to build the new reservoir for Pompey Water. In a best-case scenario, the two new reservoirs being built by Anglian Water in the east of England will cost more than 3 billion dollars and won't be able to supply water until the year 2035.

Chris Binnie is an independent consultant who advises government agencies and companies on water resource development.

Binnie says that the privatization of the sector has made water use more efficient. The introduction of water meters has led to a decrease in consumption. The British water companies were no longer able to give land developers the water they needed.