Thames Water redraws mega-reservoir plan amid local opposition

A new public consultation has opened on the 150bn-litre above-ground White Horse project in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Thames Water has amended the blueprint of a planned mega-reservoir in Oxfordshire as the struggling utility tries to convince regulators that construction should go ahead amid warnings of “catastrophic consequences”.

The White Horse reservoir near Abingdon is scheduled to hold 150bn litresof water with a surface area of 6.7 sq km (2.6 sq miles) – almost the same size as Gatwick airport.