Kent Reservoir Plan: Water Security or Costly Gamble?

South East Water has unveiled early-stage plans for a significant new reservoir, named Broad Oak Water, situated near Canterbury in Kent. This proposed facility is designed to store approximately five billion litres of water, a development announced shortly after thousands of residents experienced water supply disruptions, some for the second time in six weeks.

Documents detail potential locations for pumping stations, a treatment works, and options for public access and habitat creation. Head of water resources, Nick Price, indicated that the Broad Oak site is among the few viable locations for reservoir construction in the region. Several sites near West Stourmouth have been identified for water intake from rivers, with two potential routes for transporting water to Broad Oak and a proposed pipeline to the Blean Service Reservoir.

Price stated that the reservoir will help protect Kent's chalk streams and facilitate adaptation to climate change by storing water from rainfall events. An outline planning application is anticipated by 2028, with construction potentially commencing in 2031 and water supply beginning in 2035, though these timelines are subject to evolution.

Ground investigation works for the scheme were completed in 2025. Public engagement is the next critical phase, with responses to the consultation due by March 18. South East Water acquired the necessary land for the reservoir in the 1970s. The company has faced considerable pressure from Parliament, regulators, and customers following multiple supply failures in November, December, and January, impacting thousands in Kent and Sussex.