THAMES WATER's PLAN:

Resulting from the outcome of the public inquiry, Thames Water is having to rewrite their rejected draft 2009 plan. However, as their next 5 year Plan is not due until 2014, the Inspector accepted that an interim Plan must be created by later this year, with those essential changes incorporated in it to make it fit for purpose. This would leave time to allow proper, objective research covering less pressing changes/additions before the 2014 Plan is due to be created.

Although the Inspector ruled out Thames Water’s proposed Upper Thames (Abingdon) reservoir, it is important to recall what their rejected draft 2009 Plan had envisaged.

• Reservoir was to contain 100 million tonnes of water (equal to 100Mm3).
• It would have destroyed about 5,000 acres of productive farmland (70% grade 2 and 3a).
• Situated between Steventon, Drayton, Marcham and the Hanneys.
• Would have relyed solely on the already heavily abstracted Thames flow to top up the reservoir during months of higher rainfall.
• Construction would have started from 2016 (or sooner), completion 2026.
• Projected to meet just 60 million litres/day forecast shortfall from 2035, but then only in occasional drought periods, .
• Estimated cost about £1 billion – but likely to have turned out much higher.

Thames Water’s long term forecast was reduced three times over the previous five years, demonstrating its lack of robustness.

Thames Water’s programmed leakage reductions which are crucially dependent on repairing London’s ageing and neglected water mains, still remain at wholly unacceptable levels.

Thames Water’s latest 2009 Plan disregarded much less costly, more secure and environmentally sustainable alternatives proposed by GARD..

Had Thames Water succeeded in persuading DEFRA to support the construction of a massive, unnecessary Abingdon reservoir, its enormous cost would have been unfairly borne by their customers.

On the other hand, GARD’s better, cheaper proposals would have been – and still are - fully capable of meeting water demand growth from the South East and London without Thames Water’s proposed Abingdon reservoir.

NO ABINGDON RESERVOIR WAS EVER NEEDED OR JUSTIFIABLE