Ofwat Senior Director and RAPID Programme M.D. Paul Hickey has today written to Wessex Water and South West Water informing them that further funding will be allowed for the Cheddar 2 Reservoir strategic regional water resource solution to progress to gate three.

Image: scheme overview

Setting out reasons for the final decision to solution owners Bristol Water, South West Water and Wessex Water, he confirmed that the timing of gate three would remain unchanged.

Paul Hickey also sets out two additional actions the soluttion owners will need to take as follows:

1. Provide a report considering the potential role of the Cheddar 2 Reservoir in the restoration of wetland habitats (particularly the Somerset Levels and Moors (SLMs) Ramsar/SSSIs) during periods of low summer flow, noting that Wessex Water are abstractors from the SLMs system and are likely to be applying for Drought Permits from the SLM system in their new Drought Plan.

2. Provide a workplan to demonstrate that the Habitats Regulations Assessment will meet the requirements as outlined in the document Strategic regional water resource solutions guidance for gate three, Version 3, section 4.2, for the proposed pipeline from Cheddar 2 to Pitt Water Service Reservoir (WSR)

A further recommendation from the RAPID Chief asks them to provide evidence of how the water companies have worked with the West Country Water Resources Group to align the Cheddar 2 Reservoir with the Regional Plan and its assessment of the hydrological needs of the associated wetland SSSIs/Habitats sites.

In particular, this includes providing evidence that the project, especially through the export of water out of catchment, will not potentially undermine the conservation objectives to restore the SLMs designated sites, given the increasing risk of damaging droughts in rivers feeding the SLMs, current and planned water abstraction by Wessex Water, and the needs of other users, including new industry.