The Water Pipeline: A study of public attitudes to water infrastructure
Summary
After one of the warmest and driest summers on record, hosepipe bans announced in parts of the country and questions over wastewater discharges, the water industry is firmly in the public eye.
Combine this with the challenges of decarbonisation, the drive for net zero and the need to rapidly upgrade water infrastructure to meet climate and population demands, and the sector is facing unprecedented strain.
The National Infrastructure Commission has highlighted the need to build new supply infrastructure as part of the modernisation
needed in the industry. A multitude of large-scale projects are planned over the next few years. But few water applications have been through the national infrastructure planning system and no new reservoirs have been built in over 30 years.
This report sets out what the public think about water infrastructure and makes recommendations to industry about how we can best communicate the solutions that will keep the taps flowing.