Armitt calls for cross-party approach to water infrastructure investment as drought conditions persist

Sir John Armitt has called for cross-party support for long-term water infrastructure investment, warning that England needs more water storage capacity as the country faces increasing pressure from drought and extreme weather. A highly respected British civil engineer and infrastructure leader, Armitt has held several of the most prominent roles in the UK construction and transport sectors including president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). He is currently a member of the council of expert advisors for the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista). Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on 30 July, Armitt said the UK has not built significant new reservoirs for decades and that increasing storage capacity would be critical to meet future demand. His comments came as the Environment Agency reported that England had received just 3% of the long-term average rainfall during the latest week, while temperatures had been above average in most areas and demand for water remained high. “We haven’t built any significant reservoirs since the late 80s,” Armitt told the Today programme. “There’s one underway down in Hampshire at the moment and there are others planned but these things can take 10 to 15 years so it’s really a long-term view which we have to take and we need to increase the capacity by about 1.3 billion litres a year of storage.” He said addressing future water shortages required a three-pronged approach: increasing storage capacity, reducing leakage and lowering water consumption. By 2040 the country is forecast to need 4bn extra litres a day, which he described as a “a massive task”. “And then, at the other extreme… is this problem of too much rain in the winter. So, we go from too much rain and the consequences and the impacts that has, and then on the other hand we’ve got the problem of droughts.” In its latest report, covering the period 17 to 23 July 2026, the Environment Agency said river flows have decreased, with 84% classified as below normal or lower. Reservoir storage has fallen to 75.3% for England, around 7.4% below the long-term average for the time of year, while soil moisture deficits were at record levels for this time in July across north-east, central, south-east and south-west England. The Environment Agency said almost 40% of England’s population is now facing water use restrictions following the introduction of further temporary use bans by South East Water and Thames Water. These follow earlier restrictions introduced by South East Water in Kent, Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Anglian Water, South West Water in parts of Devon and Dorset, Affinity Water and Cambridge Water. The agency is also reviewing a drought permit application submitted by South West Water on 20 July and said there remains potential for Southern Water to apply for a River Test drought order this month. It also warned that prolonged dry weather is creating significant challenges for agriculture, including early cereal harvesting, reduced crop yields, increased field fires and livestock farmers using winter forage reserves sooner than usual. When asked why no significant reservoirs had been built since the 1980s, Armitt said “for quite a long time there was a resistance from the government [to] doing it”. “They thought other solutions could be found and of course the thing which has really caught people out very quickly in the last few years are the extremes of weather that we’re now experiencing and we have to recognise that it is likely to continue so we have to make ourselves a lot more resilient in the face of changing climate.” He added that while government policy had changed, reservoir schemes remained long-term infrastructure projects. “The government has switched its line and recognises that there has got to be more reservoir capacity but they take a long time to plan.” During the BBC interview, Armitt called for an independent body to oversee long-term infrastructure planning. “It’s the biggest challenge facing all our infrastructure we need a cross-party approach to this,” he said. “We need a totally effective independent body which can report to parliament rather than to individual governments so that we’ve got a much wider debate about this.” In a statement, WSP future ready lead David Symons said: “While the scale of this summer’s drought is alarming, it is not unexpected. Climate scientists have warned for years that the UK would face hotter, drier summers alongside wetter winters, and we’re now seeing exactly that pattern play out. “It’s important to remember that drought and flooding are two sides of the same challenge. Only a few months ago, many parts of the country were dealing with saturated ground and flooding, and we’ve seen before how periods of drought can be followed by intense rainfall and flash flooding.” He added: “The question isn’t whether these extremes will happen again, but whether we’re prepared for them. We need to get much better at capturing and storing water when it’s plentiful through new reservoirs, smarter water management and water-sensitive design. “Without action, water shortages risk becoming a growing constraint on communities, economic growth and the homes the country needs.” Main image: Farmland in Sussex. Like what you've read? To receive New Civil Engineer's daily and weekly newsletters click here. Have your say or a new account to join the discussion.