WATER from Lincolnshire will be transported to drier parts of the country to keep the taps running over the next few decades reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Anglian Water has shared how it plans to meet demand as drier weather and new environmental regulations take effect.
A new reservoir could be built in the county, and work is underway on a pipeline over 200 miles long.
The utility company says the county’s extra water will be shared with other parts of its region, which stretches as far as Essex and Buckinghamshire.
The government warned earlier this year: “Rapid population growth, crumbling infrastructure that has been left to decline, and a warming climate mean the UK could run out of clean drinking water by the middle of the next decade without a major infrastructure overhaul.”
Under its Water Resources Management Plan, Anglian Water is looking at how to ensure water security until 2050.
Its strategic pipe network will be used to transport water from wetter regions in the Midlands to southern areas that get less rain.
A 205-mile pipeline is currently being constructed between North Lincolnshire and Essex.
Anglian Water says the entire network will be completed by 2028, making it one of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects.
However, the company told the Local Democracy Reporting that Lincolnshire could still end up running short on water if nothing is done.
Environment Agency targets to protect sensitive rivers mean less groundwater will be taken for the taps in future, and climate change could also lead to less rain.
Two new reservoirs – one in Lincolnshire near Sleaford – are planned to deal with changes over the coming years.
It would be able to supply 750,000 homes and has been fast-tracked by the government, with construction potentially starting in 2031 if approved.
Anglian Water says it will be able to adapt if these infrastructure plans are delayed to ensure there isn’t a shortage.
This could mean delaying cuts in how much groundwater it takes or bringing other plans forward instead.
It will also try to manage how much water is used, with its 25-year plan including smart metering, compulsory metering, water efficiency measures and further leakage reduction.
Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns weighed in on the issue at a recent event, saying “We’re got a real water shortage problem” and she wanted “further discussion on the reservoir and where it should be.”
