Anglian Water will not resume work on water pipe between Grantham and Peterborough including south Lincolnshire villages until summer 2026

Work on a water pipeline will not resume until next summer.

Anglian Water is building a new multi-million-pound water main network spanning 205 miles in what it describes as one of Europe’s biggest environmental projects.

This includes a 90km pipeline which runs from Grantham to Bexwell, near Downham Market, via Peterborough, travelling through a number of villages in South Lincolnshire.

The work between Grantham and Peterborough paused in spring 2023, leaving pipes stored in fields around the area including Greatford and Glinton. A site for workers near Toft has been cleared of the temporary buildings but pipes are still on site.

The utility company says the importance of the project “can’t be understated” in keeping the taps running, carrying 55 million litres of water every day and it plans to restart work on the section from Elsham in North Lincolnshire to Grantham in the spring. Work there will be completed by autumn 2026.

But the Grantham to Peterborough section will not restart until summer 2026.

A spokesperson for Anglian Water said: “Like many other capital programmes over the last few years, our strategic pipeline was impacted by some significant challenges, including the wettest winter on record last year, steel supply issues caused by the war in Ukraine, and the pandemic when construction first began.”

The scheme is the largest infrastructure project that Anglian Water has ever undertaken.

The east of England is one of the driest parts of the UK, with a shortfall of millions of litres of water per day, and climate change is expected to worsen that.

Pumping stations will be built at Welton, Waddington and Welby.

Lincoln’s Westgate water tower will also be upgraded, and a storage reservoir will be constructed at Welby.

In their original application, the company stated: “The east of England is officially classed as ‘water stressed’ meaning we must make careful use of this precious resource to balance supply and demand in the region.

“To tackle this challenge, Anglian Water is taking a twin-track approach to planning for the future, reducing demand through reducing leakage, installing smart meters and investing in water efficiency measures whilst also looking at new ways to supply water, reducing the amount of water taken from rivers and boreholes.”

Anglian Water had originally announced its ambition to have the pipeline running by 2025.