A new, second Cheddar reservoir will play a vital role in ensuring the Burnham-On-Sea area and wider south west region has all the water it needs over the coming decades amid rising demand, says the Environment Agency (EA).
A new report by the EA published on June 17th has warned that England faces a shortfall of five billion litres a day of public water by 2055 unless urgent action is taken by the government and water companies.
Environment secretary Steve Reed MP announced on May 29 that nine new reservoirs would be built across the UK by 2050 – including the ‘Cheddar Two’ reservoir south of the existing facility in Somerset, shown here.
South West Water has confirmed its plans to progress these new facilities, with local public consultation set to begin later in 2025 and a planning application set to be submitted by 2027.
The predicted water shortfall amounts to a third of England’s currently daily use – enough to fill Wembley Stadium four-and-a-half times – with a further one billion litres per day being needed for industrial purposes.
The EA estimates that the West Country as a whole will require an additional 260 million litres of water per day between 2030 and 2055.
Of the nine new reservoirs announced by the government, two are expected to be built in Somerset.
The Cheddar Two reservoir, which will be fed by the River Axe and Cheddar Yeo, is expected to provide between 13 and 20 million litres of drinking water a day by 2035 – enough to meet the daily needs of around 100,000 people.
The other reservoir, expected to be operational by 2040, will be created in a disused quarry in the Mendip Hills and fed by the River Avon downstream of Bath.
These nine reservoirs are expected to deliver 40 per cent of the solution to the water shortages, with the EA expecting the other 60 per cent to be provided by the water companies reducing leaks and actively managing demand.
We reported in October 2024 that South West Water had been carrying out initial surveys for the Cheddar Two site, resurrecting the plan six years after Bristol Water had scrapped its proposals in 2018.
The government has promised £84m in funding to the project, as we reported here.
The water company says the proposals are still at a very early stage, but preparatory work has begun.
A spokesman said: “The Cheddar project also involves the upgrade and construction of new associated water pipelines across the region to enable the transfer of water southwards.”
“In addition to building service reservoirs and pumping stations along the new pipelines, the existing water treatment works (WTWs) will be upgraded to enable it to treat the additional water stored by the new reservoir. The upgrade will also make the WTWs more resilient, ensuring a reliable access to water all year round.”
“The development of the second Cheddar reservoir will also provide opportunities to improve local wildlife habitats and create recreational and community amenities.”
“Development of the project will be overseen by the Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID), a partnership of the three national water regulators, Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. RAPID was formed to support and accelerate the development of new water supply infrastructure to meet future water needs.”
It adds: “Preparatory work is ongoing in the background to establish the impacts on the environment of a second reservoir, WTWs upgrade and new pipelines. This work will inform our early consultation with residents, communities, businesses and stakeholders.”
“The Environment Agency, Historic England, Natural England, Somerset Internal Drainage Board and local authorities are among the statutory bodies being consulted during these early stages.”
“A range of surveys will take place including engineering, archaeological and environmental surveys to inform the project.”
On consultation, a spokesperson states: “As the project develops, we will be working closely with local communities and landowners to address any potential concerns they may have.”
“Households and landowners neighbouring the proposed reservoir site and the potential pipeline will be contacted and asked to complete a Land Information Questionnaire to establish who has land or property interests in the area.”
“We will be contacting anyone that will be directly affected by this project so that we can understand their concerns and address those wherever possible.”
“We will also be holding open days so people can talk to us about the project. This consultation will start in 2025 and will involve a wide range of organisations including statutory authorities, regulators, catchment partnerships, customers and local community groups.”
If approved, construction work could begin by 2029, with the reservoir entering full operation in 2035.
The reservoir plans were first proposed by then-owner Bristol Water in 2014, but the water watchdog Ofwat said at the time it had “significant concerns” over whether a second Cheddar reservoir would be in the interests of customers.
For more information about the Cheddar Two project, see:
https://www.westcountrywaterandenvironment.org/flagship-projects/cheddar-reservoir-sro
