Anglian Water launches £694 million project to enhance supplies across rapidly growing Peterborough

Anglian Water has officially launched a new five-year £694 million plan for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire as it seeks to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and a surge in population growth.

It will be part of a programme of work worth £11 billion carried out across the region, which includes four of the UK’s fastest growing cities – Peterborough, Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Northampton.

The company says that by 2030 it will have doubled its investment into the environment, replaced more than 1,000km of water mains, completed its strategic water grid and be ready to begin construction on two new reservoirs for the region.

It says all of the works will create jobs and bolster the local economy.

In Peterborough the investment will include more than £60 million into reducing phosphorous from several water recycling centres in the county as well as investing in a number of growth projects to adapt to the growing population.

More than £350 million is to be invested as part of the development for the Fens reservoir which will help meet the growing demands on water supplies in the East of England.

Significant works have started in Peterborough, including sewer replacement and repair scheme in Thorpe Road and Potters Way, a sustainable drainage system for Cathedral Square, two flood alleviation schemes in Yaxley, new water pipes in Great Haddon and Folksworth and four Anglian Water-funded Rivercare groups as well as ongoing work at Peterborough’s flagship Water Recycling Centre at Flag Fen with a £10 million storm tank project.

Mark Thurston, chief executive of Anglian Water, said: “The next five years is a crucial time for the industry as we support and enable economic and housing growth across the UK.

"Neither of these things can happen without significant investment in the right infrastructure – both maintaining existing and creating new assets.

"Critically, how we collaborate with others across the region to deliver this infrastructure at the right time, in the right places is vital to success.”

At the heart of Anglian Water’s plans is a redoubling of efforts to tackle storm overflow spills with £1 billion ploughed into tackling the issue from every angle.

Funds will be spent on increasing capacity to hold stormwater at water recycling sites and across the sewer network by building new infrastructure like storm tanks.

The work will be fast tracked over the next two years and will be bolstered by an extra 200 dedicated staff over the next 12 months.

The company will also be investing £96 million to ‘slow the flow’ to prevent rain and groundwater from getting into sewers to begin with, making spills less likely.

By the end of next year almost 50,000 state-of-the-art AI sewer monitors will be installed across the company’s 76,000km network.

Mr Thurston added: “Alongside providing safe, clean drinking water, we know that reducing spills and pollutions is the number one thing our customers care about.

"This is why our business plan prioritises this over everything else.

"Our efforts go far beyond simply delivering our plan; we are reorganising the way the business operates to make it more focussed, efficient, and drive performance improvements. Everyone at Anglian Water is clear that improving performance for customers and the environment is essential.”