We are progressing plans for two new reservoirs – one in Lincolnshire, and another in the Cambridgeshire Fens in partnership with Cambridge Water.

When there is available water in rivers that would otherwise be pumped away to the sea, we would draw that water and transfer it to the reservoirs using new and existing infrastructure and waterways. The reservoirs will store the water for when it’s needed.

Having these new water resources will reduce demands on sensitive sources such as chalk streams, helping us to protect and restore the environment. The new reservoirs will make us more resilient to a changing climate, reducing the impact of droughts while helping to manage river levels in wetter periods.

Our vision for the projects goes beyond simply creating new public water supply. We want to create a place where nature, people and water come together.

This is a significant investment in England’s water infrastructure and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver lasting benefits for our region.

A proposed reservoir in the Cambridgeshire Fens

Our phase three consultation for our proposed reservoir in the Fens is open from 15 October to 10 December.

We’re presenting our latest proposals the reservoir and its connecting infrastructure. This is our third phase of consultation in a multi-phase approach, and we’re welcoming feedback from the public and other stakeholders.

Our phase three proposals include:

• proposals for the main reservoir site, including how it could feature in the landscape and connect to nearby communities, and the features it could include for people and nature
• proposals for the raw water and treated water infrastructure we would need to transfer water from sources to the reservoir, treat it and supply it to Anglian Water and Cambridge Water customers
• how we could deliver the project including our early thinking on construction and transport options
• our approach to the environment including how we’re assessing the project’s potential impacts, what we’ve learned to date, and the steps we could take to manage any impacts during both construction and operation
• early plans on providing power for the reservoir, including our current proposals for powering the site using renewable technology

To view our latest proposals, and to have your say – visit our project website here.

A proposed reservoir in Lincolnshire

Our phase two consultation for a proposed reservoir in Lincolnshire closed on 9 August 2024.

We’ve received really valuable feedback from local people and stakeholders. To highlight the key themes and issues raised, we’ve prepared a summary of what people told us and how we’ll be considering comments going forward.

• Lincolnshire feedback summary

We are now intending to hold an additional phase of consultation in spring 2026, where we will provide an update on our proposals and more detailed information on the topics we know are important to people.

Visit our project websites to find out more: