£500 million plans for Lincolnshire reservoir, plus improvements to wetlands, rivers and bathing waters progressing
Plans to invest more than £500 million into Lincolnshire to improve water quality, create wetlands and build a reservoir continue to progress.
Anglian Water has received its Final Determination from water industry regulator, Ofwat, in response to its £11bn plan proposed for the region between 2025 and 2030.
This Lincolnshire investment includes more than £9m on new treatment wetlands to protect fish and plant life by improving river water quality, and £5.3m to reduce the number of spills to the coast and support ongoing work to ensure residents and visitors to all nine of Lincolnshire’s designated bathing waters will have access to highest rated bathing water quality.
As the largest county in the Anglian region – with a population of around 770,000 which is expected to increase approximately 12% by 2050 – the investment will also help to facilitate growth in Lincolnshire, including increasing capacity for treating more sewage at several Water Recycling Centres (WRCs) and £190m for the development of the Lincolnshire reservoir to meet growing demands on water supplies from homes and businesses in the East of England.
Commenting on the final determination, Mark Thurston, CEO of Anglian Water, said: “Our investment programme over the next five years and beyond 2030 will create thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs in the region, which in turn will enable essential growth in housing, commerce and industry.
“This puts Anglian Water at the heart of one of the most thriving and economically vibrant regions of our country.”
The plan is said to deliver essential and ambitious investment in the region’s water and sewerage infrastructure, creating jobs, protecting and enhancing the environment and underpinning the rapidly growing region and local economy.
The East of England is the fastest growing in the country with approximately 700,000 more people expecting to call it home in the next 20 years, coupled with being on the frontline of climate change and water scarcity.
The water company said its plans would ensure it remained ahead of these pressures including enabling it to tackle pollution, enhance the environment, mitigate flooding and keep taps flowing, while continuing to ensure our services remain affordable, resilient, and accessible for all customers.
“Worth £11bn over five years, Anglian has one of the lowest bill rises for customers in the UK, yet one of the largest investment programmes,” Mr Thurston added.
“We plan to double our investment in the environment to over £4bn. This includes £635m for new water pipelines to feed the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, £660m to develop two new reservoirs in Lincolnshire and the Fens to supply nearly three quarters of a million people and futureproof against water scarcity; and £2.7bn to improve our resilience to the risk of flood and drought, helping protect our rivers and coastline from the effects of climate change.
“Alongside this investment in transformational infrastructure, we have put forward a strong package of support for vulnerable customers.
“This will help those in difficult circumstances and at risk of being in water poverty to get the financial support they need, including a discounted tariff for those with certain medical needs.”
The scale of the plan reflects the significant factors affecting the eastern England region – it is the fastest growing region with more people and businesses calling it home, including a critical agriculture economy, feeding the nation and burgeoning green energy industry that is water intensive.
“It is on the frontline of climate change, in one of the driest areas but also predominantly below sea-level posing flooding challenges.
A Final Determination is a regulator’s conclusive decision and considers the impact of decisions on consumers.
Over the coming weeks, Anglian Water say they will be reviewing the feedback in detail and continuing discussions with Ofwat as needed.