The UK's water storage capacity has been identified as a critical issue, with current plans to fast-track the construction of nine reservoirs by 2050 potentially outpaced by climate change trends. This follows a Cobra meeting where climate policies were discussed.
Despite recent heavy rainfall, with England experiencing its eighth wettest winter on record and 42% above average rainfall, the country is currently facing drought conditions. It has been noted that no new reservoir has been built in the UK since 1992.
Only one reservoir is projected to become operational in the next decade. Suggestions have been made for the government to address this national security issue, including cutting bureaucracy to support the building of farm-level water storage and developing a network of smaller, distributed reservoirs.
Separately, Anglian Water has implemented a water tariff in Norwich that is approximately 2.5 times greater than the winter tariff, resulting in a bill of £99.98 for 82 days between May and July 2026 for some customers.