Anglian Water says it’s still looking at possible locations for the proposed new South Lincolnshire Reservoir.
A site between Tongue End and Deeping St Nicholas is among those being looked at by the water company which announced its intention to create the large body of water back in 2018.
The company’s draft 2019 Water Resources Management Plan outlined the need to build the reservoir that would need to have a capacity of 50,000 megalitres, the equivalent of 20,000 Olympic size swimming pools.
However four years down the line, the company says it’s still looking at where in the local area it would be best to create the large body of water.
An Anglian Water spokesman said: “The east and south east of England have a rapidly growing population, it is home to vital industry and agriculture which all needs water to function, and it’s also very dry – receiving about a third less rain compared to the rest of the UK.
“That means we need to plan ahead to ensure there is enough water to go around, both for us today and for future generations.
“We are working with Affinity Water, the Environment Agency, Water Resources East and our partners in the South Lincs Water Partnership to plan how we can meet this challenge in a way which takes a new, holistic approach to water use across different sectors.
“The South Lincolnshire Reservoir is a strategic regional water resource solution that is being proposed in the Anglian Water region to support supply to Anglian Water customers, and to Affinity Water customers via water transfer.
“It will also provide multi-sector benefits beyond public water supply, such as for flood and agricultural water storage, as well as enhancing the environment and providing amenity benefit.
“At this early stage we do not have a precise location for the reservoir and are following a multi-stage site selection study.
“Equally, while the start date is likely to be several years away, of course with a project of this scale we would speak to people early on, well in advance of any spades breaking ground.”
Back in 2018 Anglian Water’s estimations of the potential costs of creating the South Lincolnshire Reservoir ranged from £625m to £985m.
The Water Resources Management Plan aimed to map out a 25-year plan for the company and at the time it was published said a start date for a potential reservoir ‘could be more than a decade away’.
