RAPID clears Minworth and Grand Union Canal work to progress

RAPID is consulting until 17 October on draft clearance for two connected strategic water resource options being developed by Affinity Water and Severn Trent to continue development.

Both the Grand Union Canal (GUC) and Minworth Strategic Resource Options will be funded to a conditional review point on 11 December, ahead of RAPID confirming timing for Gate Four permission. Both projects are deemed to be efficient and development expenditure has been allowed in full: £8.5m for GUC and £7.6m for Minworth.

The combined project involves Severn Trent advance-treating recycled water from its Minworth works, and then transferring it using a new pipeline and the Canal & River Trust’s existing infrastructure to the Affinity Water supply area to help meet water shortages, with the option to supply Thames Water in the future if required. 115 megalitres per day (Ml/d) of additional water will be transferred, providing a deployable output benefit of 100Ml/d.

• West Country Water and Environment, formerly known as West Country Water Resources, is consulting until 1 October on the Cheddar 2 Reservoir and Transfer Project. This involves the construction of a second reservoir near Cheddar, which will provide around 20m litres per day of drinking water by 2035-36 during the summer months, enough to supply water to approximately 100,000 people. Cheddar 2 would be supplied with water from the Cheddar Yeo and, when required, the River Axe. The project would also involve pipeline work and associated infrastructure to transfer the water south west, and additional treatment capacity.