Reservoir that will serve 15 million moves step closer
Thames Water are looking for a contractor for the Oxfordshire site
Plans for the "largest water infrastructure investment in a generation" have moved closer.
Thames Water has launched a £5.7 billion tender notice to bring a contractor on board for its new proposed reservoir in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
The White Horse Reservoir would secure water supply for 15 million people across the South East of England, according to the water company.
Ben Ring, Major Projects Director at Southern Water, said the project will be valuable for other areas of the country too.
Ring said: “White Horse Reservoir is an essential part of our plan to keep taps and rivers flowing in Hampshire.
"Combined with our Thames to Southern Transfer pipeline, it would supply our customers with up to 120 million litres of water a day during a drought, meaning the same amount can be left in Hampshire’s rare and sensitive chalk stream rivers."
The White Horse Reservoir is one of nine new reservoirs proposed by Thames Water across the UK.
However, the company says it expects bringing a contractor on board to take three years.