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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Monday, 1 September 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 September 2025. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Housing: Water Supply

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has undertaken recent research on the potential merits of opening desalination plants to help ensure the resilience of the domestic water supply.

Answer

Water companies are responsible for researching and selecting the best value water supply options to sustainably secure water supplies for their customers. Government and regulators require water companies to consider desalination alongside all other water supply and demand management options to meet future water needs, which could amount to an additional 5 billion litres per day by 2055. The latest water company Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs) contain proposals for 9 new desalination plants.

A list of significant water resources infrastructure projects that water companies propose in their WRMPs, including the desalination plants, is available on GOV.UK.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
73732
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Housing Research Water supply Desalination
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk