THERE is still time to have your say on £1 billion proposals to keep taps flowing during the next 60 years.

South East Water’s consultation which includes plans to build new reservoirs, water re-use schemes and desalination plants, closes on May 21.

The population within the water company’s supply area is set to increase 53 per cent to 3.34 million by 2080, so it is putting forward a number of measures to ensure there is enough water to keep taps flowing for future generations.

Proposals included within the company’s draft Water Resources Management Plan include:

? Sharing water with other water companies through longer, larger, pipelines.

? Taking more water from the River Thames.

? Recycling treated wastewater for later use as drinking water.

? Building new reservoirs.

In addition, South East Water has pledged to invest in new technology to upgrade its water treatment works, reduce leaks even further and help more customers control their own water use.

These plans build on the successful initiatives of the previous Water Resources Management Plan, published in 2014, which included the introduction of the customer metering programme and investing more than £7 million a year in leak detection and repair.

Over the past five years this investment has resulted in 90 per cent of leaks being fixed within 48 hours, reducing leaks by four per cent over the period.

Lee Dance, head of water resources at South East Water, said: “The proposals look far into the future, right to 2080, to make sure we have a secure and resilient water supply for homes and businesses, while also balancing the needs of the environment and keeping customers’ bills down.”