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Water containment solutions to help UK survive hot, dry summers

The UK experienced a very dry summer this year with many areas, particularly in the south eastern regions having water restrictions imposed on them. Are more reservoirs needed to help overcome drought conditions? Or are there other water containment strategies the UK could adopt beyond building more reservoirs to bolster drought resilience. Each water containment alternative comes with its pros as well as financial and environmental challenges.

Building more reservoirs is often put forward as a solution to water scarcity, but it’s not always straightforward. 

Why more reservoirs might help

Extra reservoirs mean more capacity to store water from wet winters and spring, ready for use in hot, dry summers. They provide resilience against prolonged droughts and allow for steady water delivery even when rivers run low. With population growth and increasing industrial water use, demand is rising, and reservoirs can help bridge the gap.

Challenges of building more reservoirs

  • Environmental impact: Flooding land for reservoirs affects habitats, farmland, and local communities.

  • Cost and time: Large reservoirs take decades to plan, approve, and build, costing billions.

  • Climate uncertainty: Rainfall patterns are shifting — some regions may not receive the “spare” water to fill new reservoirs.

  • Losses: Open reservoirs lose water through evaporation, especially in hotter summers.

Alternatives 

  • Fixing leaks: Around 20–25% of treated water is lost through leaks in UK pipes.

  • Smarter demand management: Incentives for water-efficient appliances, metering, and behavioural change can cut use.

  • Water reuse: Recycling wastewater for non-drinking purposes reduces pressure on supplies.

  • Desalination: Used in southeast England (e.g., Thames Water’s Beckton plant) to provide drought resilience.

  • Natural solutions: Restoring wetlands, aquifer recharge, and catchment management can boost storage and improve ecosystems.

The National Infrastructure Commission and Environment Agency have both said the UK will probably need a mix of:

  • Some new reservoirs (especially in the southeast, where demand is highest),

  • Better water transfers between regions (moving surplus water from wetter areas to drier ones),

  • Investment in efficiency and leak reduction.

Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling

Rainwater harvesting captures rooftop runoff in tanks for non-potable uses such as gardening, flushing toilets, etc. In the UK, typical mains-water savings range from 20–50%.

Greywater recycling reuses water from baths, sinks, and washing machines within a household for irrigation or toilet flushing—reducing fresh supply demand by 30% or more.

Policy gaps in the UK lags behind countries like Cyprus or Australia in greywater reuse uptake and infrastructure support.

On-Farm storage and infrastructure upgrades

On-farm reservoirs, ponds, and tanks are good examples of water containment solutions. Many farms across the UK are creating their own water stores for irrigation resilience. For example, the Elveden Estate is financing its third reservoir, which provides up to 60% of its annual water and around 40% in very dry years

In short, more reservoirs may form part of the solution, but they’re not a silver bullet. The UK’s water resilience will rely on a portfolio of measures.

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