The race to stop England running out of water

How might England reduce its water consumption to match the levels seen in Denmark? According to Russell, simply reducing shower times by one minute per person could save nearly a billion litres of water daily by 2050, despite forecasted population growth. However, efforts by water companies to encourage less water use have not been widely successful. Will Willoughby, director of water supply at Wessex Water, points out that the water industry’s poor public image has hindered the effectiveness of these campaigns, suggesting that government-led initiatives may be more impactful. He believes that such involvement could help change negative perceptions and mobilize public cooperation in conserving water resources.

A key difference between England and Denmark lies in water pricing. Denmark mandates water meters and charges considerably more for water than England does. Although UK water bills have risen, there is public discontent over water companies allegedly prioritizing shareholder dividends over infrastructure investment. Nevertheless, some argue that prices remain too low in England. For instance, the average Danish water and wastewater cost stands at £9.45 per cubic metre, whereas in England, Thames Water charges as little as £4.21 and Southern Water the highest at £7.06. According to Daniel Johns, managing director of Water Resources East, water in England is “too cheap.” He emphasizes the widespread assumption that water will always be readily available and stresses the need to abandon that mindset.

England is also experiencing wetter winters, a trend predicted to continue by climate models. This raises the question of whether capturing and storing more of this excess water could mitigate shortages. To do so, new reservoirs would be required, yet no major reservoirs have been built in England for over three decades. The debate over this absence has involved water companies and environmental campaigners; the former claim that regulators prevented investments because of potential water bill increases, while the latter believe the private sector has failed to invest adequately. The 2025 Cunliffe review into the water sector acknowledged elements of truth in both arguments. Currently, ten new reservoirs are planned by 2050, but constructing them presents significant challenges.

Dr Ross Woods, associate professor of water and environmental engineering at the University of Bristol, explains that appropriate reservoir sites must be in sloping areas with valleys, which are rare across the country. One such proposed site is near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, a town traditionally known for its bun-throwing festivities but now central to a national debate on water infrastructure. The proposal has faced public opposition due to concerns about environmental damage, particularly to ancient woodlands. The government has designated this site, along with another, as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects to streamline approval processes, yet these designations do not eliminate environmental difficulties. Reservoirs must meet environmental legal standards for water quality, achieving “good” status, meaning free from pollutants like agricultural runoff and invasive species—currently met by only 14% of England’s water bodies. The Environment Agency warned the Cunliffe Review that the costs of treating water to this standard might make new reservoirs economically unviable

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