The situation

It’s our job to make sure that our 1.8 million customers have access to safe and reliable drinking water 24/7, 365 days of the year. But climate change and growing populations are putting increasing pressure on water resource availability in our area and across Southern England.

What we’re doing about it

We’re continually planning, designing and innovating new, improved ways to make sure your water supply is resilient. So, to help address the growing supply risks affecting our Roadford supply area, we’re looking to invest in a new pumping station at Gatherley on the River Tamar and 4km of new pipework. Supported with a suitable abstraction license from the Environmental Agency, we’d use this new site to pump water from the river back into Roadford Lake during winter, when the river has a higher flow. These top-ups would help maintain the level of the reservoir so there’s less pressure on it and the river in the summertime when demand for water increases.

With the kind cooperation and generosity of landowners and local groups, our contractors and engineering, environmental and planning design teams are currently busy surveying the site to assess river flows, ecology and operational requirements.

The analysis also considers the wider impacts on the environment. These surveys will determine the design of the project, which is due to be finalised in 2023.

Image of Roadford reservoir

Why we're doing this work

Why we’re doing this work:

  • Demand for water is increasing in the Roadford supply zone
  • Schemes that increase supply are needed alongside our demand reduction support
  • This supply scheme increases Roadford’s resilience by moving more water into the reservoir during the winter, to recover its levels for the following summer. This ensures it can continue to provide optimal levels of water in a dry year.
  • Once complete, the scheme will provide Roadford reservoir with up to 111 megalitres per day (June 2025)
  • We have applied for an abstraction license through the Environment Agency and expect to have 30 megalitres per day available this winter. This will potentially contribute up to ~10% of Roadford’s winter storage capacity!

Supporting documentation

New temporary equipment

We're submitting a new planning application at the end of September to install a set of temporary pumping equipment at the Gatherley site. This is so that we can bring forward the use of the pipe and enjoy the benefits of the scheme earlier than expected. 

We hope to start taking water from the River Tamar and send it to Roadford Lake in February and March 2024 while the river has higher flows. As always, all abstractions will be undertaken according to strict licenses. 

The work so far

South West Water has been on site since October 2023 with the focus being on the new 4km cross-country pipeline which we plan to have installed by February 2024.  

A temporary planning consent application has been made to setup plant and equipment to abstract water from the River Tamar at Gatherley during February - March 2024 and potentially the following winter, as required.  A second temporary planning application has been submitted to cross the River Lyd with a pipe bridge to be used during February - March 2024, with the permanent below-ground pipeline crossing of the River Lyd to be made in summer 2024. 

The purpose of the temporary planning applications and winter install of the cross-country pipeline is to enable water to be transferred to Roadford Lake this winter, to ensure we recover from the 2022 drought. Therefore, a time-limited 30 megalitre per day river abstraction licence application has been made to the Environment Agency following consultation with riparian and fishing stakeholders.

Looking beyond this winter, a permanent works planning application will be submitted in December 2023 to enable construction of a new 111 megalitre per day river abstraction and pump house to be constructed on the River Tamar at Gatherley from June 2024 to secure the region’s longer-term water resources.  This permanent building has been designed to be in-keeping with the setting as far as possible and the river abstraction screens will be installed from the bank to minimise disturbance to the river bed. A new buried power supply will be installed alongside the 4km cross-country pipeline to power the pump house. We’ll be applying for the permanent 111 megalitre per day river winter abstraction licence from the Environment Agency in 2024 following approx. three years of consultation.  

Works at Gatherley are expected to be completed by the summer 2025 for operational testing and use from November 2025. The winter operation of this site will be a strategic decision by South West Water and the water will directly benefit the region and will not be used for export outside of the South West Water region.  

Further information on the need for the scheme and the water resources situation can be found in our draft Water Resources Management Plan 2025 – 2050

The following key dates are subject to relevant third party consents, permissions and approvals being in place:

  • October 2023: start on site, hedge removals for pipe installation
  • October 2023: temporary planning applications submitted for abstraction plant and equipment at Gatherley and pipe bridge over River Lyd
  • November 2023: easement preparation and pipe installation begins through private land
  • December 2023: permanent planning application submitted for 111 megalitre per day river abstraction and pump house at Gatherley
  • February 2024: pipe installation complete
  • February – March 2024: up to 30 megalitre per day abstraction from the River Tamar to Roadford Lake using temporary plant and equipment at Gatherley and temporary pipe bridge over River Lyd
  • June 2024 – September 2024: in-river works in River Tamar to install permanent river abstraction
  • June 2024 – September 2024: permanent below-ground crossing of River Lyd completed using existing buried conduit
  • June 2024 – October 2025: construction of new pump house and ancillary works
  • November 2024 – March 2024: up to 30 megalitre per day abstraction from the River Tamar to Roadford Lake using temporary plant and equipment at Gatherley, if required
  • November 2025: up to 111 megalitre per day abstraction from the River Tamar to Roadford Lake (ongoing winter abstraction as strategically required, Nov – March each year)
  • August 2025: initial grass / hedgebank reinstatement complete (this will be a progressive activity to be completed across the whole scheme by summer 2025)
  • June 2026: temporary working area (easement) fencing removed following successful grass / hedgebank reinstatement

Green Recovery Initiative

In 2021, we launched our Green Recovery Initiative which focusses on opportunities for us to help the region economically and environmentally. So far, the Initiative has created work across the South West and has allowed us to make environmental contributions that go far beyond our 2020-25 business plan commitments. We also aim for a 10% net gain in biodiversity around our work sites to further enhance the environment in our region.

Roadford’s new intake pumping station is part of this Initiative. As well as increasing the resilience of the water supply, it is part of our long-term water quality strategy in the North Devon area.