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Keith Dancey · June 3rd 05, 11:16 AM posted to uk.sci.weather

In article , "Ian Currie" writes:

... A dry summer could be very serious for the Southeast.

Agreed. The situation does not look good.

It is interesting that in spite of all the development and building that has
gone on across the relatively small British Isles from Domes, Wheels,
skyscrapers, sports stadiums, shopping precincts, marinas, mighty bridges,
vast housing estates, motorways and by passes, not to mention airports etc
etc the ability to transport water from the frequently wet hills and
mountains of the west and north of Britain to the often arid and
increasingly urban Southeast seems beyond the capability of engineers or the
will of politicians.

A very big reservoir, fed by the Thames, has been planned in Oxfordshire. The
water is not primarily for Oxford or Swindon, but for the south-east. The height
of the containing walls will extend 80 feet above ground level since the clay
layer is at the surface at the planned site, and not underground.

I believe that all the properties/farms etc due to be flooded have now been
purchased by the operating water company. They have also commissioned private
environmental impact surveys (breeding bird surveys and the like).

Understandably, people living in several nearby villages campaigned against the
proposal because of the intrusive nature of such a large development so close to
their homes. The construction period would necessiate a local extension of
a nearby railway line to ferry materials, a road would have to re-routed, and
a tunnel built to connect to the Thames.

Five years of misery for them from dust, noise, mud, traffic... followed by
living beneath millions of tons of water. Sunset would come hours earlier
for those nearest...

Of course the plans were put on ice while all the water companies were forced to
reduce wastage through leakage. Up to one third of all water supplies were
being lost through leaks, and years of disruption followed while every major
town and city had it mains water supply network renovated. Ofwat had premitted
special increases in water charges to allow the companies to carry out that
work, and funds are still being allocated to meet major capital expenditure
on water infrastructure.

At the same time, planning permission for the Oxfordshire project was shelved
because public opinion does not foresee a crisis. Several things need to be
in place to get such a project started: the water companies need to be able
demonstrate that they are not wasting existing resources, a site needs to
identified and all surveys completed, funds need to be found, and public opinion
needs to be won over for the necessity of such a large project.

This is a long story, and this project has been slowly developing over many
years, but we (those effected - the Oxfordshire site and south-east customers) are nearing the game-plan of the last, still-outstanding requirement: public approval;
a severe summer drought in the south-east will go a long way to providing the
necessary political impetus for the building of this reservoir. At the moment,
the argument has been to provide for the planned growth for the south-east, but
that in itself is not popular, either.

I should point out that this is, as far as I know, a Thames Water-only scheme.
Whether the other water companies have similar plans I do not know. But in a
tiny way this will be, if it comes about, a water-grid for at least part of the south-east, even if it is confined within a single water company's area and does
not involve pumping water from the north or west into other regions.

Unfortunately, you, and your neighbours in the south-east, are likely to have to
suffer from drought before those who will suffer from the consequences of the
solution can be persuaded that a new, very large, reservoir is essential.

Cheers, or not,

keith

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