We’re proposing to build a new reservoir near Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
Statutory Consultation 2025
We’re proposing a new reservoir near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, to help supply water to around 15 million people across the South East. It would play a critical role in tackling expected water shortages. The reservoir would also bring lasting local benefits, including new spaces for nature, leisure, and community use.
On 28 October 2025, we launched an 11 week statutory public consultation and invite you to have your say on our proposals. This is your opportunity to view our proposals, provide feedback, and help shape the future of water in your area.
Our dedicated statutory consultation webpage includes further information to find out more about our proposals, our consultation materials, upcoming community information events and where you can pick up hard copies of our materials.
Our Statement of Community Consultation, which sets out our approach to consulting communities on our proposals can be found in the Statutory Consultation Document Library. You’ll also find copies of the statutory notices that we’ve published in local newspapers to advertise our upcoming consultation.
The reservoir would be filled with water from the River Thames in the winter, when there is plenty available. When river levels drop, or demand for water increases, water would be released from the reservoir back into the river for re-abstraction downstream.
The proposed new reservoir would supply water to local customers, as well as homes and businesses across London and the South East. As well as providing a resilient water supply for the South East, the reservoir would also provide opportunities to create new habitats and increase biodiversity, as well as providing new leisure and recreation facilities. The reservoir would provide water to customers across the South East, including customers served by Affinity Water and Southern Water.
Our proposals for the new reservoir have been overseen by RAPID (Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development), a consortium of water industry regulators. RAPID has implemented a ‘gated’ regulatory process to ensure that all new strategic water supply options are considered in a fair, consistent and transparent way, and that our customers’ money is spent wisely.
More information about RAPID and the gated process, including technical reports, additional information provided to RAPID, and feedback from RAPID relating to the project can be found here.
We intend to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) in 2026, seeking permission to construct and maintain the new reservoir. If granted, construction is forecast to begin in 2029 with the reservoir planned to begin operating in 2040. The planning process will allow people to have their say on the proposed new reservoir before a final decision is made by the Secretary of State. Demonstrating that we have had regard to local and regional concerns is an important part of the DCO process. Before formally applying for a DCO, Thames Water must carry out a public statutory consultation and consider feedback.
Find out more about the DCO process in our factsheets. More information is also available on the Planning Inspectorate website.
We’ve launched our public statutory consultation where we're asking you for feedback on our detailed proposals. Please visit our dedicated public consultation webpage for further information and to have your say.
We’ll continue to carry out more surveys and assessment work to help us refine our proposals for the reservoir. Before the submission of Development Consent Order application, there will be another opportunity to share your views on our plans.
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