Views sought over �1bn reservoir

Some local people could be forced to sell their homes

A 16-week consultation programme on Thames Water's plans to build a �1bn reservoir in Oxfordshire has begun.

The company said the site near Abingdon was needed to meet demand. It would be the biggest built in the UK in 25 years and hold 150bn litres of water.

Exhibitions will be held in Abingdon, Wantage, Grove and the villages close to the proposed site.

The plan - which could force some people to move home - would mean customers paying more for their water.

The reservoir, planned for farmland near Abingdon, would supply an extra 350m litres of water a day, the majority of which is needed in London.

'Difficult drought'

Despite its size - it would hold about half the volume of water of Lake Windermere - the amount falls far short of the estimated 900m litres-a-day being lost through leaky pipes under the streets of the capital.

The water watchdog Ofwat has branded the company the UK's "leakiest" supplier in the past.

But chief executive David Owens said a big part of the plans would be focusing on continuing to reduce leakage.

"The long and difficult drought we experienced in 2005 and 2006 brought home to all of us that we cannot be complacent about our water supplies," he said.

"We're working hard to reduce the risk of hosepipe bans or more severe restrictions, and making plans now to ensure that we are able to provide enough water to meet future needs."

People living between the villages of East Hanney and Steventon would be most affected by the reservoir, with the company warning of compulsory purchase orders on some homes.

If the scheme is approved construction is likely to begin in 2011 and is due to last about eight years.

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