Broad Oak
Introduction
Our water resources plan shows that by 2024 there will be a shortfall in available water in Kent.
South East Water considers the most environmentally and economically sustainable way to meet this shortfall is to build a new winter storage reservoir at Broad Oak, near Canterbury. We own the area identified as part of our water resource plan.
Broad Oak Reservoir would be able to supply, on average, an extra 27 million litres of water each day. This would be achieved by abstracting, and then storing, excess winter rainfall from the River Stour that would otherwise go out to sea. Storing the water means it can be used when needed.
The development of Broad Oak Reservoir is a strategic investment by South East Water and will cost around £200 million.
A reservoir at this location would also help support our entire Kent supply area, and as far as East Sussex, because we will be able to transfer this water through the new interconnecting pipelines.
Broad Oak Reservoir also provides the greatest opportunity for environmental enhancements and habitat creation.
What happens now?
We are currently carrying out extensive surveys to establish the “ecological baseline” of the site, as well as carrying out geological and hydrogeological investigations.
The surveys may also identify further social and environmental benefits a new reservoir scheme could deliver.
The Broad Oak Reservoir is just one of a number of proposals in our draft plan. The plan has to go through an extensive consultation process during 2008/2009 before the final plan, and all the options in it, is determined.
However, we are committed to carrying out detailed consultation with the local planning authorities, landowners and interest groups, as well as statutory consultees and the public as part of this process.
While land acquisition is not an issue at this site, the development of a new reservoir at Broad Oak would still be subject to gaining both planning permission and regulatory and environmental consents.
There is the distinct possibility that this scheme, because of its size, would be determined under the new Planning Act now being considered by Parliament, which sets out a new regime for the authorisation of major infrastructure projects.