In a bold response to growing water pressures, Devon and Cornwall are pioneering new ways to source and manage water — turning former industrial sites and collection systems into vital lifelines. From disused China clay pits now filled with usable water, to farm reservoirs capturing millions of litres of rain, the West Country is showing how innovation can reshape the future of water security.
The 2022 drought in parts of Devon and Cornwall served as a stark warning that water availability can no longer be taken for granted. With climate change expected to reduce water resources by up to 15% by 2050 — and summer river flows dropping by as much as 80% — new strategies for water use and reuse are essential.
Among the most striking transformations is in the China clay sector. Imerys Minerals, once a major user of freshwater from the River Fal, has cut its abstraction by an extraordinary 99.5% — from 2 billion litres annually five years ago, to about 10 million per year, which is less than 1% of its original drain upon freshwater sources. This dramatic shift followed Environment Agency guidance and is now saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and preserving freshwater ecosystems.
Lee Moor China Clay Works. Credit: Derek Harper, via Wikimedia Commons.
The water now comes from massive former China clay pits — so large they’re visible from the air — that have filled naturally with rain and groundwater. These pits, once industrial scars on the landscape, now hold enough water to support large-scale industrial operations and even contribute to Cornwall’s drinking water supply; groundwater from three such pits is treated and fed into the public network.
Agriculture, too, is embracing water innovation. One Cornwall farm, responsible for growing 15% of England’s brassica seedlings, has invested in its own water resilience. With support from the Environment Agency, the farm built a clay-lined reservoir that can hold 24 million litres of harvested rainwater. This reservoir, along with rainwater collected from polytunnel roofs, replaces the need for multiple abstraction licences and makes the farm more self-sufficient.
“Water is a precious resource, so it is great to see by-products of Devon and Cornwall’s industrial past being turned into new water sources,” said Clarissa Newell of the Environment Agency. “Only by finding smart ways to reduce our water demand can we protect the environment and in turn ourselves.”
The message from the West Country is clear: protecting the future of water means rethinking where it comes from, how it’s stored, and how efficiently it’s used.
