Plans for a new reservoir in Oxfordshire has residents asking 'lake or mistake?'

Many of us find the GCSE Resource Management unit a bit dry to teach, so although most of us would be against plans for large scale energy developments in the UK due to their environmental impacts, they certainly give us something to talk about in class. We have already blogged about the proposed Cumbrian coal mine which is supposed to improve our energy security, so it's time to turn our attention to the new 'super reservoir' that is currently being proposed in Oxfordshire.

Over the last couple of years water companies across the UK have hit the headlines after discharging huge quantities of raw sewage into waterways and onto beaches and have caused public outcry at their sheer disregard for the state of the environment. So when they pipe up about huge new infrastructure plans it seems feasible that the first response would be to view their plans with suspicion.

Oxfordshire is an area that suffers water deficit - meaning that the level of rainfall in the area is not enough to support the growing population, and that underground aquifers are not being recharged, as is the case across much of the south and east of England. The three water companies proposing to build this 'super reservoir' (Thames, Southern and Affinity) all argue that there is a need for extra water storage in this region. Their plan is to build a £1.4 billion reservoir that would span almost two miles of land just south-west of Abingdon, and hold around 150 billion litres of water.

However, over a thousand local people have already added their names to a list of people against this development. One sticking point is the proposal included 25 metre-high walls that would be needed to hold the huge volume of water - many are concerned that these are far too close to existing homes and that along with being an eyesore, they might be unsafe and increase the risk of flooding in an area already vulnerable.

Water resilience is a big problem across the south and east of England as extremes of weather become more frequent and the Abingdon reservoir is seen as a vital part in a network of water sources that can be used when water shortages occur.

But where will the water go? Another reason that locals are against the proposal is that it isn't that clear about which areas will benefit from this water source - particularly as it is a joint project between three water companies. The initial plans claimed that the reservoir would provide water security for Oxfordshire, but then details emerged stating that the store would provide a water supply for London, and most recently the water companies have said that the water will actually be piped down to Portsmouth. And residents are hardly likely to be won over by a lack of clarity! Currently studies being carried out about the impact of the reservoir have proved inconclusive, and despite the level of opposition, it is expected that Ofwat (the water regulator) will recommend the Abington reservoir as part of the water resilience plan for the south-east.

There has been a real lack of investment into secure water source in recent decades - particularly in the south-east - with water companies quick to turn a profit but much more reluctant to invest that money back into water infrastructure. Currently there is a £14 billion investment plan in place to improve treatment works, fix leaking pipes and transfer water from areas of surplus to deficit. Many argue it's the water transfer option we should be focusing on as rivers in the south-east already struggle to fill reservoirs due to the low levels of precipitation, so essentially the proposed reservoir could be completely useless. But there are also many who oppose water transfer schemes, citing that water is being taken from northern regions to expand the economy in the south, therefore potentially widening the north-south divide.

We'll have to wait and see what's decided here - it's a good talking point for both GCSE and A-Level students and it's always worth keeping an eye on these controversial proposals as we might find in a couple of years time that in Paper 3 students are being asked to decide whether a new coalmine for Cumbria is a good idea, as they have already been asked whether the new super reservoir in Oxfordshire is a lake or a mistake in 2018!

Read more on The Guardian website - Lake or mistake? The row over water firms, drought and Abingdon’s new super-reservoir