East Devon council leader calls for new reservoir amid water concerns

Summarised from Exmouth Journal's report · Updated 15 Oct, 06:50 · Archive

An East Devon council leader has called for a second reservoir in Devon to address water supply concerns.

East Devon District Council leader Paul Arnott has called for a second reservoir in Devon to address mounting concerns over water supply and infrastructure for new homes. Speaking at full council on 14 October, he said he had raised the proposal directly with South West Water chief executive Keith Haslett. Arnott said there was 'a clear argument that there should be a second reservoir in Devon' and that his suggestion had not fallen on 'stony ground', but added that he was unsure whether the company was prepared to build one.

The call follows concerns from fellow councillor Peter Faithfull, who questioned the implications of continued housebuilding whilst Wimbleball Reservoir was at a low level. Arnott acknowledged the reservoir's condition should worry councillors, saying 'We need some rain.' When discussing longer-term supply options, he referred to the proposed Cheddar Two reservoir and questioned the connecting infrastructure needed to serve Devon. South West Water is also exploring desalination as a possible future source of supply.

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• Council leader demands new Devon reservoir as water supply concerns growAnother reservoir is needed to protect future water supplies, a council leader has argued as concerns mount over dwindling storage and infrastructure for new homes.Exmouth Journal · 15 Oct, 05:00

In this story: East Devon District Council · Paul Arnott · South West Water · Wimbleball Reservoir · Devon

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