A plan worth £11bn to allow the region to thrive, including £1bn on reducing spills 

Tomorrow (1 April) marks the beginning of the next five-year business plan for Anglian Water. This is a pivotal moment for the region as the water company embarks on a programme of work worth £11bn – its largest ever and almost double that of the previous five-year period. 

By the end of the decade, Anglian will have doubled its investment into the environment, replaced over 1000km of water mains, completed its strategic water grid and be ready to begin construction on two new reservoirs for the region - all of which will create jobs and bolster the local economy, helping the region to thrive. 

The East of England includes the country’s four fastest-growing cities: Milton Keynes, Northampton, Peterborough and Cambridge, and is set to see more than 720,000 new residents over the next 20 years. Anglian’s plan is designed to deliver the investment needed to prepare the region for this level of growth as well as navigating the challenges, extremes and uncertainties that climate change will bring.  

Mark Thurston, Chief Executive at 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.” 

Richard Tunnicliffe, Regional CBI Director for the East of England said: "The CBI strongly supports Anglian Water's ambitious £11bn investment plan, which is crucial for enabling economic growth and addressing environmental challenges in the East of England. This significant investment will not only bolster the economy by creating jobs in all parts of the region but also ensure the East is well-prepared for future population and business growth and prepare the region for an exciting future” 

A £1bn plan of attack to reduce storm spills 
At the heart of the plan is a redoubling of efforts to tackle storm overflow spills. £1bn of funding will be 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. Over the next five years Anglian Water will build nearly seven times as much storm water storage compared to the previous five years – a total of 470,000 metres3 – equivalent to nearly six million baths.  

This 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, meaning issues like blockages can be predicted and prevented before they become an issue. So far, these monitors have prevented over 2,500 blockages in targeted areas. 

Mark continued: “Our responsibilities extend far beyond being a water company. We are fundamental to enabling growth and prosperity for businesses and communities alike. 

 “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.”