The Abberton Scheme – an enhanced water resource

The Abberton Scheme is a £150 million water resource scheme in the southeast of England undertaken by Essex and Suffolk Water (part of Northumbrian Water Group) to provide additional water for Essex and Greater London. The scheme comprised the raising of Abberton Reservoir and the uprating of the existing Ely-Ouse to Essex Transfer Scheme that transfers water from Norfolk to Essex, thus increasing the availability of pumped inflows to the reservoir. With a project lifespan of 20 years, this paper describes how the scheme has been delivered, including the promotion and stakeholder engagement process and the engineering design and procurement. The paper places a particular focus on the works at the reservoir to increase storage and improve the habitat for wildfowl. The construction of the Abberton Scheme started in December 2009 and was completed in December 2013.