A network of Local Reservoirs: Providing water resilience and security to unlock growth in the region
East Cambridgeshire District Council has produced a report exploring the potential for a network of agricultural reservoirs to address the region’s urgent water security challenges.
With growing pressure on local water supplies, the report sets out how mid-sized reservoirs—built in partnership with farmers and linked to existing drainage systems—could capture surplus winter water and store it for use during the dry summer months. This practical, nature-based approach aims to reduce flood risk, support agriculture, and provide additional drinking water for Cambridgeshire, all while enhancing biodiversity and helping to restore the unique landscape of the Fens.
At a time when large-scale infrastructure, such as the proposed reservoir at Chatteris, remains years away, this local approach offers a scalable, cost-effective solution that could meet growing demand for water across the region.
Under the scheme farmers and landowners would be expected to bear the costs of building new reservoirs on their land on the understanding that these assets would generate revenues to cover costs and make the enterprise commercially viable.
Key recommendations include:
- supporting the development of agricultural reservoirs for public supply
- working with the Combined Authority and others to develop full feasibility and business cases
- lobbying government and regulators to back this local initiative, including through legislative changes to empower Internal Drainage Boards, and support from Ofwat and the Environment Agency to create more flexible and responsive regulatory frameworks
The council is calling on government, regulators, and regional partners to work together to turn this vision into reality.