There has been mention in the media of the possibility of a second reservoir at Cheddar.This is the background:

A wide range of schemes have been considered in our long-term Water Resources Plan to secure future public water supply in the area.

At this early stage, increasing the amount of reservoir storage is considered to be the most beneficial overall. However, because of the extensive planning requirements to advance such a scheme, it is not clear at this time whether or at what stage this scheme may proceed.

Further interest in the idea of a second reservoir at Cheddar was sparked off in December 2007 by publication of our 'Water In The Future' document. This examines Bristol Water's strategy for the next 25 years, includes planning for and developing new water resources. A key aspect of this strategy is to build a major new raw water reservoir by 2025.

It must be stressed that other options are also available; and the whole Cheddar Two proposal is bound up with the regulatory reviews of what prices water companies can charge and the investments they can make. The latest review will cover the period 2010-2015.

As part of this review, the water companies published Final Business Plans – Bristol Water’s included a proposal for preparatory work for Cheddar Two to be carried out between 2010 and 2015.

* Both ‘Water In The Future’ (Strategic Direction Statement) and our Final Business Plan are available on this website.

* The sketch plan attached indicates in broad outline the type of proposal we are considering. The outline of the reservoir is schematic, not to scale, and should not be taken to be a representation of any design that may be subsequently submitted for planning approval.

* The other PDF is from the presentation made to the Axbridge Town Council on April 20^th 2009.

Update December 09:

At the end of November the water industry regulator Ofwat announced its final determination on prices for the period 2010-2015. In the investment ‘settlement’, an amount was included for preparatory work on Cheddar Two Reservoir.

However, all that is planned (or agreed by Ofwat) at present for the period up to 2015 is to do a detailed design (including geotechnic confirmation of the suitability of the site) and prepare a planning permission application. Construction would not commence before 2016 at the very earliest, and probably later.