Guernsey’s Chief Minister sees the climate change threat to water levels as a driver for extending the life of Guernsey’s only quarry. Deputy Laurie Morgan, the Channel Isles Chief Minister is reported to have stated that if an additional area at Les Vardes is quarried, the enlarged void space could be reserved for water storage in the future. Given the adverse effects of future climate change on rainfall patterns, the larger future reservoir at Les Vardes is considered to be a very valuable strategic asset.’‘The simple principle is that the more one had, the better you are protected from the risk of severe shortage,’ he added.
Guernsey is reliant on water stored in reservoirs.Capacity currently represents 10 months of normal usage.Forecast increases in demand by 2015 would reduce that to nine months.If the storage of raw water is not increased, then the protection is forecast to drop to seven-and-a-half months by 2020,’ said Deputy Morgan.
‘If Les Vardes was utilised as a water storage area, then that would increase the predicted security level in 2020 to the level it is at today. Therefore, Les Vardes is considered a potentially valuable water storage asset, particularly given the uncertainties of supply through increasing concerns about global warming and climate change.’He added that desalination might be worth considering in the future because of the advances in technology since the former plant, at La Hure Mare, was built.
‘However, it is still relatively expensive in operational costs and the energy required is not deemed justifiable.’In a letter attached to the report, Guernsey Water’s director of services Andrew Redhead said it believed the quarry was an important safeguard toward maintaining potable supplies for the next 20 to 30 years.
‘If this facility is not developed in the manner proposed, then the risk of water shortages will increase unless an alternative solution can be produced,’ he said.