Britain is to build nine new reservoirs amid fears that water rationing could be required within 15 years.

Tough restrictions have already been introduced in countries across Europe, with supplies in parts of Italy and Romania limited to short periods of the day this summer while taps in some French villages ran dry entirely.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed is announcing an £88 billion package of investment to prevent the UK suffering the same fate. It includes the first new major reservoirs to begin operating in the UK for 30 years, and 8,000 kilometres of water mains pipes.

While the measures will be funded almost entirely by the water industry, there is expected to be some additional cost to households with the average bill likely to rise by around £19 a year.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Mr Reed warned: “Our growing population and the impacts of climate change are straining the system.

“In just 15 years, the demand for water will outstrip supply. It would mean increasing disruption to our water supplies, and stop us building the new homes and critical infrastructure we need to grow the economy.”

He will meet water firm bosses at the Government’s international investment summit in London tomorrow to discuss the plans.

The Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, is designed to force water firms to stop dumping sewage in rivers and coastlines while cracking down on excessive bonuses for executives, but this is just the start of reforms to the water industry designed to protect supplies.

Mr Reed said: “Stronger regulation creates a level playing field that will attract the private sector investment we need to upgrade our broken infrastructure.

“It will help secure around £88 billion of private sector investment in our water sector over the next five years. That will be the biggest ever investment in our water sector and the second biggest private-sector investment into any part of the economy over the course of this Parliament.

“It will fund nine new reservoirs, multiple large-scale water transfer schemes, 8000 kilometres of water mains pipes – as well as upgrading 2,500 storm overflows and reverse water pollution.”