Enfield Council has backed a motion calling for greater water sustainability, urging engagement with water companies to support proposals for new reservoirs to meet the growing demands of London and the South East.
The motion, agreed by the council, highlights the current climate conditions and the need to establish water sustainability for Enfield, noting that the borough is in a water-stressed area. The forecast predicts that an additional 1 billion litres of water per day will be needed by 2050, as London's population is projected to approach 10 million.
Councillor Doug Taylor, who proposed the motion, stated that water is both life in the economic and the literal sense.
He added that London is getting bigger, and it needs more water.
Councillor Taylor also pointed out that no further development has happened since the 1950s
in terms of water infrastructure in the Lee Valley, which serves London. He noted that Proposals were made 20 years ago for increased water storage in our region
and that We're running out of time to ensure there's sufficient water supply in London and the South East.
Specific proposals for new reservoirs include one near Almaden in Oxfordshire, which would store fresh water for 15 million people across London and the south-east region. Councillor Taylor also mentioned that there are options for reservoir building north of Enfield
. However, he acknowledged that There are issues of capital finance, regulatory agreement and local acceptability
regarding these options, and that There are issues raised by local residents about the environmental consequences
of the proposed Whitehorse reservoir.
Councillor Michael Rye OBE, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, confirmed that we already have three massive reservoirs serving Enfield and North London
and that there is also, and this is not widely known, a subterranean reservoir in Enfield that holds tens of millions of litres of treated water.
He also noted that The Whitehorse reservoir will store fresh water for 15 million people across London and the south-east region.
The motion also calls for the council to look at building regulations for new properties to increase water reuse and rainwater capture, with the aim of leading into mandatory conditions.
The leader of the council is to engage with Thames Water and Affinity Water to support proposals for new reservoirs.
Councillor Lee Chamberlain, seconding the motion, agreed that while reducing water leakage and improving water efficiency are important, they cannot remove the need for additional strategic water storage. He highlighted the historical context, noting that In 1911, a year after my great-grandfather, Chamberlain, moved to Edmonton to work as a navvy building a new reservoir, King George V, Greater London had a population of 7.2 million. Today, it's around 9.2 million, and it's projected to approach 10 million in the coming years.
He added, Previous generations built the reservoirs that Enfield and London depend upon today. Our responsibility is to support the building of the infrastructure that future generations will depend upon.
The estimated cost of reservoir building is significant, with Councillor Taylor mentioning that The cost of reservoir building will probably run to 7.5 billion pounds.
He also raised the crucial question of funding, asking, So there's a question about is that taxpayer expenditure or is that bill payer expenditure.
No definitive answer on funding was provided.
The council's commitment to water sustainability comes as the UK faces increasing challenges related to water supply, including population growth, infrastructure failures, lack of new water storage, and the impacts of climate change.