2023 Illustration by Thames Water of the conceptual design and location for a 150 Mm3 reservoir.[1]

The Abingdon Reservoir is a long-term proposal for fresh water storage located south west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire in the mid-west of the Thames Basin and which is intended to help support water supply provision in the south-east of England.

Proposals

The proposal arose in 2006 by Thames Water.[2] In 2007 the Environment Agency opined that need for this was not proven.[3] Further arguments were put but the near-term-demand case was rejected in 2011.[4] In 2023, following a period of consultation, a revised version increase the proposal to 150bn litres (150Mm3).[5]

Since 2018 a longer-term proposal stands, for its building, by 2043 to cater to projected population growth in the Thames Basin.[6][7]

Reasons for the construction

The main reason to build is that the South-East is facing significant seasonal water stress. Factors are the rain shadow behind the prevailing westerly winds and western hills. Eastern counties lack the rainfall of the west; their average annual rainfall being 500-750mm. The west receives around 1800-2800mm.

Average population density is higher in the eastern than western counties; London houses 13.5% of the UK's population. This is the greatest concentration of domestic water usage. Roughly 22% of water use is domestic; 75% is from all types of industry.

Counter-arguments

GARD or the 'Group Against Reservoir Development' have counter-arguments, local, national and looking at international comparators.[8]

  • Thames Water have unambitious targets for leakages[8]
  • The reservoir will be far from potent against long droughts[9]
  • As there is enough water to supply London now there can be in future using other, sustainable methods.[8]
  • Impacts on the ecosystem being transformed from supporting many endangered and protected land-based invertebrates, water voles, bats and hedgehogs to more water-based bird life.[8]
  • Traffic congestion and construction pollution.[8]
  • Local economic loss of many well-rooted businesses and a solar farm.[10][8]
  • A new, low, risk of flooding.[8]


See also

References

  1. ↑ "New reservoir in Abingdon | Water resources". Thames Water. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  2. ↑ Reservoir 'biggest in 25 years' - BBC News, 14 September 2006
  3. ↑ "Need for reservoir 'not proven'". BBC News. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  4. ↑ "Abingdon £1bn reservoir plan rejected by government". BBC News. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  5. ↑ Inman, Phillip (2023-04-22). "Lake or mistake? The row over water firms, drought and Abingdon's new super-reservoir". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  6. ↑ "Abingdon reservoir proposals questioned by Oxfordshire County Council". BBC News. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. ↑ "Abingdon Reservoir back on the cards!". CPRE. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 http://www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk/ Group Against Reservoir Development. www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk
  9. ↑ Resilience - Final Report. Group Against Reservoir Development. www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk
  10. ↑ East Hanney solar farm

51°38′04″N 1°21′15″W / 51.63444°N 1.35417°W / 51.63444; -1.35417

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