UK Launches First Major Reservoir Projects in Over 30 Years to Secure Water Supply and Boost Housing
The UK government has announced the construction of two major new reservoirs, the first in over three decades as part of a national plan to address growing water shortages and accelerate housing development. Located in Lincolnshire and East Anglia, these reservoirs will supply clean water to more than 750,000 homes, easing constraints in some of England’s most water-stressed regions.
Driven by climate change, population growth, and outdated infrastructure, the UK faces a looming water crisis, with officials warning that parts of the country could run out of clean water by the 2030s. In response, Environment Secretary Steve Reed has taken direct control of the planning process, giving the reservoir projects “nationally significant” status a designation that expedites approval by shifting decision-making from local to central government.
The Lincolnshire Reservoir, to be built south of Sleaford, will deliver up to 166 million litres of water per day, while the Fens Reservoir near Chatteris will provide 87 million litres daily. Both projects, led by Anglian Water and Cambridge Water, are expected to be operational by 2040 and 2036 respectively.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader Plan for Change, which aims to build 1.5 million new homes and 150 major infrastructure projects during this Parliament. Crucially, many of these homes especially in areas like Cambridge and North Sussex cannot be delivered without securing long-term water supplies.
In total, nine new reservoirs are planned by 2050, supplying an estimated 670 million litres of water per day. The move is supported by £2 billion in development funding from Ofwat, marking the largest coordinated water infrastructure investment in decades.
Public consultations for the Lincolnshire and Fens reservoirs are now underway, marking the start of a new era in UK water strategy, one that connects national resilience, environmental sustainability, and housing growth in a single infrastructure push.
