England could run out of drinking water within the next 10 years without building new reservoirs, the water minister has warned.
Emma Hardy said the country faces an 'infrastructure crisis' as she set out plans for the Government to seize take control of the planning process for two new reservoirs.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has designated projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire as 'nationally significant'.
This will escalate them from local planning to central Government and the move aims to streamline and fast-track the delivery of the two new reservoirs.
They will be the first major new reservoirs to be built for more than 30 years, with ministers hoping they will improve water resources for more than 750,000 homes in some of England's most water-stressed areas.
