Driving Economic Growth

The delivery of the £104bn investment plan should create 30,000 jobs and at least 4,000 apprenticeships. Water companies will deliver large local and national infrastructure projects including ten new reservoirs and new and upgraded sewer networks.  

The building of new water infrastructure will drive economic growth by enabling more development to take place. The additional development will allow the construction of new houses, public amenities such as hospitals, and economically vital projects including the creation of new data centres. All of which are reliant on water.

Water companies face different challenges depending on their location as well as other pressures from population growth and availability of water resources.

We are already seeing the effects of a lack of sufficient water supply and infrastructure. Because we haven’t been allowed to build a new reservoir in more than 30 years, we now don’t have enough supply to meet the anticipated growing demand in years to come. In parts of Cambridgeshire and Sussex, new homes are being blocked and businesses can’t expand due to a lack of water. In Cambridge, even a new cancer hospital was under threat because of a lack of water.  

New housing, schools, hospitals, factories, offices and data centres all depend on sufficient water infrastructure and water supply. Along with population growth and the effects of climate change, water companies need to meet increase water supply and wastewater management needs - both of which are vital to the UK’s economic health and future growth.