RDE730 Feasibility study - storage of water on farms for subsequent use in Cambridge area water supplies

National context

This project is one of 20 Local Resource Option studies which are being undertaken nationally across

England using money provided by Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and administered by the Environment Agency. While the other 19 studies are intended to identify screen and rank different options to improve water supply security for agriculture, this study aims to assess the feasibility of one specific proposal which will potentially result in improvements for both agriculture and public water supply resilience as well as benefits to biodiversity and climate change mitigation objectives.

Local context

Greater Cambridge - Water for Sustainable Growth Pressure on water resources in the Cambridgeshire area is acute and is growing. While long-term solutions are planned to meet public water supply deficits, they are not due to come online for a number of years and this has resulted in objections to planning applications and challenges around housing and business growth. Without action, the prospect of increased abstraction may lead to impact on the environment and on existing abstractors as well as lost opportunities to meet priorities such as peat re-wetting.

Water companies in East Anglia are already indicating that they will not be able to supply all new non household use. This is especially significant in the high-growth Greater Cambridgeshire area, where there is a poor supply/demand balance and limited supply options.

A pipeline transfer into the Cambridge region from Grafham Water reservoir is planned to provide an additional significant supply of water in 2032. The planned Fens Reservoir is due to come online in 2036. Both will provide long-term sustainable water resources for the region