Reservoir expansion to ease water woes

17/12/2007

FINAL plans to expand an Essex reservoir by more than 50% have been submitted to the authorities - 15 years after work on them began.

And if the proposals to enlarge Abberton Reservoir are given the go-ahead, its size could have increased by 58% by early as 2014.

The £140million scheme, put forward by Essex and Suffolk Water, is seen as playing a key role in safeguarding future water supplies as thousands of new homes are built in the county.

Demand for water in Essex is predicted to rise by around 6% over the next 25 years, almost entirely due to an increase in population.

But the enlargement also forms part of the water company's strategy to adapt to climate change, which is expected to bring more extreme weather conditions in future years.

The plans would see the deep water level of the artificial reservoir - located between Colchester and Mersea Island - rising from 17.8 metres to 21 metres, with its capacity increasing from 26,000 million litres to 41,000 million litres.

Meanwhile its surface area would grow from 1.8 square miles to 2.5 square miles, engulfing mainly agricultural land.

However, Essex and Suffolk water has pledged to protect wildlife and habitats at the reservoir, which is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and regarded as one of the most important sites in Britain for water birds.

The plan to enlarge Abberton, which has been submitted to Colchester Borough Council, is the culmination of a process that saw around 250 possible sites considered for increased water storage across East Anglia.

The Abberton scheme was chosen as the best option after balancing environmental, engineering and economical concerns, along with the fact that creating a new reservoir would require far more land than expanding an existing one.

To transfer additional water to fill the enlarged Abberton reservoir, Essex and Suffolk Water plans to lay two underground pipelines, one from Kirtling Green in Suffolk to Wixoe on the Essex/Suffolk border, where the additional water would be flushed into the River Stour.

Meanwhile a second pipeline would be built to carry the excess water in the River Stour from Wormingford to the reservoir itself.

Jim Jenkins, Abberton project manager said: “The Abberton scheme is necessary to ensure adequate supplies of water are available to meet the long term demand in the Essex area, allowing us to catch and store more of the winter rainfall for use in summer months.

“The scheme is being designed to a high level of environmental sensitivity with regard to both local communities and the wildlife for which the site is internationally protected as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).”

Mr Jenkins said that the existing Essex Wildlife Trust visitor centre, currently next to the reservoir, would be relocated to larger and improved premises.

The plans would also increase the network of public access routes in the proximity of the reservoir from around 4km to 14km.

Last night John Jowers, Essex County councillor for the area covering the reservoir, said: “People here recognise we need the water - and necessity is the mother of invention. This is one of the driest parts of Britain.

“The water company have been very involved locally and have given money for projects around the reservoir - they are a pretty enlightened firm.

“This whole thing has taken a very long time - more than 14 years. To me, it seems like a very thorough and well-organised thing

“The only slight concerns are about getting access to it - it could be a massive social and community resource. It's fine keeping it as a wildlife reserve, but people are hoping there will be more human access to it once the work is done.”

Planning applications for the reservoir's expansion have been submitted to four local authorities, including Colchester Borough Council, and if they progress according to schedule construction and engineering work could begin in 2010.