In March 2023, BBC News reported that South West Water was planning two desalination plants on Cornwall's south coast. Together they were to supply about 60,000 m³ per day. With the county using about 170 million litres a day, that would be more than a third. David Harris, drought and resilience director, hoped for operation by the summer but called this very challenging. Six further potential sites had been identified, and investment in desalination and other measures stood at 80 million pounds.
The report showed that after the 2022 drought, desalination was being seriously planned in south-west England as a climate-independent source, in a country with only a few plants at the time.
Source: BBC News