Broad Oak reservoir will ensure a resilient and sustainable water supply, innovatively delivered, to benefit the natural environment and community, now and in the future.
Broad Oak reservoir, located to the north of Canterbury, is a large scale investment and construction project which marks the second major reservoir to be built in the South East in the last three decades. Once built, it will not only help meet the future demand for drinking water in East Kent, but also create new habitats, increase biodiversity and provide social benefits for the local community.
It could hold 5,126 million litres of water and supply 22 million litres of water a day, equivalent to 275,000 full baths. Raw water would be taken from the Great Stour near Monkton and then held at the reservoir before being treated at the on-site water treatment works and pumped to homes and businesses.
The scheme originates as early as the 1940s, and the land for this purpose was purchased by South East Water in the 1970s. Plans for the reservoir have featured consistently in our Water Resources Management Plans in recent years, and is required from 2035 to reduce the amount of water we take from groundwater and rare chalk stream habitats. We aim to deliver water into supply from 2035.
An environmentally led scheme
Our vision for Broad Oak reservoir is driven by environmental factors, and our ambition to support and enhance biodiversity.
- South East Water is working closely with dedicated partner agencies such as Historic England, Kent Wildlife Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency to follow expert guidance and ensure the protection of plant and animal species.
- We have an obligation to fulfil Biodiversity Net Gain targets, providing new habitats and enhancing the area.
- Broad Oak Reservoir will reduce our impact on chalk streams, as an alternative to ground water abstraction.
- Will provide new greenspace and areas of nature accessible to the local community and visitors, as well as community activities such as walking trails, cycling, bird watching, and educational work.
Carrying out survey work
Throughout 2024, we carried out numerous surveys of the Broad Oak reservoir site, and the local area, in order to better understand things such as:
- The wildlife that lives and visits here
- The flow of local rivers and water quality
- The ground conditions
- The heritage of any buildings
This extensive work will continue over the next three years, and will provide us with a baseline from which to plan, measure and design.
Find out more about surveys undertaken for this project here.(opens in a new tab)
Stakeholder and community engagement
Over the course of the past year, South East Water have operated a number of internal working groups, covering an array of different topics, in order to progress and deliver the Broad Oak reservoir project. In February 2025, we then founded the first panel made up of external parties, the Broad Oak reservoir Stakeholder Advisory Group.
The group, which meets regularly, is comprised of professional organisations in the fields of tourism, business, culture and heritage, environmental bodies, community groups and residents' associations, alongside Parish Councils and Borough Councillors.
Their role is to help us shape Broad Oak reservoir, submit views on behalf of the wider community, and provide their in-depth specialist knowledge and insights, ensuring we can mitigate potential issues and understand local feeling.
We publicly publish the minutes from meetings of the Broad Oak reservoir Stakeholder Advisory Group. You can view these online shortly.
Our next phase of engagement will be to discuss our draft plans with members of the public, in autumn/winter 2025. This work will involve events such as public meetings, drop in sessions, online webinars, surveys and printed materials. In the meantime, if you have ideas on what you would like to see at the Broad Oak reservoir site, you can let us know your thoughts on our interactive map.(opens in a new tab)
Ground Investigation works
During the summer of 2025, Ground Investigation work (GI) will be carried out in agricultural fields in proximity to the reservoir site, to provide us with the information we need to assess the proposed location and move forward with the scheme. This means that machinery, personnel and activity will be visible on site for the first time.
However, this is not construction work, and does not signal the start of the reservoir build – it is exploratory survey work to provide us with the data necessary to plan a reservoir design and build. We are not fracking, or drilling for substances, or detrimentally impacting wildlife.
Get in touch
For enquiries relating to Broad Oak reservoir, please contact broadoak@southeastwater.co.uk
