The Environment Agency remains to be convinced that Thames Water needs to build a new reservoir to the south west of Abingdon. 

The Agency believes that Thames Water has not fully answered the following three questions: 

·         How much water does Thames Water need to supply customers in the future?

·         Which measures would best meet or manage future demand for water?

·         If a reservoir is needed where might it be located? 

Craig Woolhouse, an area manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We accept that Thames Water and other water companies in the south east of England cannot meet the forecast growth in demand for water solely through demand management, such as metering and leakage reduction. 

“Thames Water continues to respond to our questions and challenges on how much water is needed for the future and our discussion continues.

“In December we received more information on Thames Water’s justification of need for more water. This information was in response to Thames Water’s failure to meet its leakage targets. We are reviewing this information. 

“Thames Water still has a way to go – and more questions to answer – before we are convinced that a reservoir of this size and scale is the right solution to meet longer term needs.” 

Thames Water's proposals include building a major new reservoir near Abingdon, tackling leakage, and encouraging customers to use water more efficiently, including the use of metering. 

Stage One of its consultation, which began in September 2006, set out how much water it predicts it needs for the future, what options it has looked at to meet this need and the possible location for a reservoir. 

The Stage Two consultation, which finishes on 3 March 2007, was about conservation, landscape, the impact of construction and after use of its proposed reservoir. 

Mr Woolhouse added: “Despite our current reservations about the justification for a reservoir, we have looked at each stage of the public consultations as they have been rolled out by Thames Water. This is because if a reservoir is built, we want to ensure we are involved from the beginning to ensure we get the best for both people and the environment.” 

As Thames Water’s second public consultation about the proposed scheme closes, the Environment Agency says the company still has to answer crucial questions about the project, including: 

The three questions from Stage One: 

·         How much water does Thames Water need to supply customers in the future?

·         Which measures would best meet or manage future demand for water?

·         If a reservoir is needed where might it be located? 

Other questions raised during Stage Two: 

·         The impact on flood risk from the construction of a reservoir

·         The potential impacts of a reservoir on water quality and quantity on the River Thames

·         The operational uses of a reservoir