England could face drinking water shortages by the mid-2030s unless new reservoirs are built, the government has warned.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said the country must act now, as two new reservoir projects—Fens Reservoir in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire Reservoir—are being fast-tracked through planning.
“This is really important because 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,” Hardy told BBC Breakfast.
The decision shifts approval powers from local authorities to Environment Secretary Steve Reed, cutting what ministers call “red tape” to speed up the process.
However, even with acceleration, the reservoirs are not expected to be operational before 2036 and 2040.
Hot and dry summers
According to the Met Office, climate change is projected to bring hotter, drier summers, increasing the risk of droughts.
This year’s unusually dry spring has already triggered drought status in parts of north-west England. Rainfall deficits and warmer temperatures are compounding pressures on existing water supplies.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has long warned that climate change, population growth and increasing water use by sectors like agriculture and data centres threaten the resilience of the UK’s water systems.
According to BGS, groundwater—another key source of public water supply—is already under pressure from over-abstraction and pollution.
Dr Glenn Watts of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said the new 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.”
Despite the benefits, large-scale infrastructure projects like these are costly and controversial. Opposition is expected from affected communities, especially where homes or farmland may be lost.
Experts stress that reservoirs alone won’t solve the crisis, instead water use must be reviewed including fixing leaks, cutting waste – and better water recycling.
No major new reservoirs have been built in England since 1992.
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