Thames Water redraws mega-reservoir plan amid local opposition
Thames Water has revised plans for a massive reservoir in Oxfordshire following significant local opposition and rising costs. The project, now estimated to cost up to £7.5bn, is intended to secure water supplies for 15 million people by 2040.
Why it matters
The project illustrates the tension between essential infrastructure development and local environmental and community concerns in the UK.
A community drop-in session for the proposed reservoir in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty A community drop-in session for the proposed reservoir in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Thames Water Thames Water redraws mega-reservoir plan amid local opposition A targeted public consultation has opened on the 150bn-litre above-ground White Horse project in Oxfordshire
Prefer the Guardian on Google Thames Water has amended the blueprint of a planned mega-reservoir in Oxfordshire as the struggling utility tries to convince regulators that construction should go ahead amid warnings of “catastrophic consequences”.
The White Horse reservoir near Abingdon is scheduled to hold 150bn litresof water with a surface area of 6.7 sq km (2.6 sq miles) – almost the same size as Gatwick airport.
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