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The letter comes after the UK experienced its hottest summer on record , with much of the country in drought and under hosepipe bans. "The case for action has never been stronger," the letter sent to Downing Street on Tuesday said. "The government now has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership, protect economic growth and deliver lasting water security." "We urge ministers to seize that opportunity." In August, Thames Water said almost nine in 10 people surveyed supported the building of the proposed reservoir .
The water firm previously said the facility would secure supply for 15 million customers of Thames Water, Affinity Water and Southern Water in the south east. Customer would pay for the new reservoir through their bills. But the Group Against Reservoir Development (GARD) has launched a petition against the plans that was "representative of people's views" rather than the selected sample he suggested Thames Water had surveyed.
GARD chairman Derek Stork said fixing leaks should be "the first priority" for the water firm, as a lot of water stored underground was leaking "at an appalling rate". He added that group would not object to "building a reservoir like Farmoor [in Oxfordshire] to temporarily hold water back", but that the White Horse Reservoir proposals were much larger than that.
Source: BBC
