Clause 80 - Flood plans: large raised reservoirs
Water Bill [Lords]
8:55 am
Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster, Conservative)
Good morning, Mr. O'Hara, and welcome to the Chair.
The Bill deals with the shortage of water, yet only when we get to this point do we start to deal with the problem of reservoirs. The clause puts in place proper plans so that if a raised reservoir should burst there is a procedure to ensure that the local community suffers no danger or loss of life. That is welcome. However, there are no powers that would enable more reservoirs to be built.
The problem with British water is that although it falls out of the sky regularly, we save no more than 3 per cent. of our rainfall. That is an extraordinarily low amount and it is why water is such a precious resource. It has not rained for some time this month and we have had one of the driest autumns; what better illustration can I draw as to why we should save more water in reservoirs? It is a great shame that the Bill contains nothing that would make it easier, particularly for areas such as Thames gateway where a lot of new housing will be built, to save rainfall.