£9 billion to go towards tackling water scarcity in the East
New research shows the East of England is the most challenged region outside of London
Last updated 21st Nov 2023
Anglian Water is proposing £9 billion of investment between 2025–30 to address water scarcity in the East of England.
It includes more than £218 million in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
A report entitled ‘Thriving East’, commissioned with Capital Economics, shows that the challenges facing the East of England are some of the severest in the country, second only to London.
The water company says the threats of water scarcity, temperature rises, low rainfall and the prospect of 720,000 additional residents in the next two decades poses a significant risk to the region being able to thrive and prosper.
The report found a changing climate will be the biggest challenge Cambridgeshire faces.
It predicts temperatures 'will be hotter than the national average, and projections from the Met Office show record low rainfall, at 1.9mm per day – less than anywhere else in the UK.'
It added: 'The city of Cambridge is fast-growing, with a predicted population rise of 6% by 2043, and home to the largest commercial research and development centre in Europe.
'As a county, Cambridgeshire contains some of the UK’s most fertile agricultural land, and lots of it: 79% of it is farmland, as compared to a national average of 63% in England.
'All these sectors are dependent on investment into the region’s infrastructure, most critically water resources, to enable them to grow and prosper.'
Anglian Water is planning a new reservoir, north of Chatteris, which would supply around 250,000 homes.
The company is also planning to extend its strategic pipeline – a regional water grid – by investing a further £71 million pipeline to transport water from the wetter north of its region to drier areas in the south and east, such as Cambridgeshire.
Peter Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Water, said: “Our purpose is to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we serve.
"Our region relies on water to facilitate economic growth, tourism, and to feed a significant part of the population.
“Our role is to facilitate growth and prosperity in the region through significant investment, with our most recent business plan for 2025-30 - our largest ever - outlining a proposed £9bn of essential investment in the region.
"This plan, created in consultation with regional stakeholders, is designed to address precisely the challenges Thriving East sets out.
“But to achieve this it will require close collaboration with local authorities, businesses, community groups and regulators to unlock opportunities for generations to come.
"We hope that this acts as a rallying cry to help bring together everyone who shares our ambition to capitalise on the many opportunities and in delivering a prosperous, thriving future for the region.”
Anglian Water’s plans for other investment in Cambridgeshire include:
• £13.7 million to install new filter technology at 4 sites and create a natural wetland at Hail Weston Water Recycling Centre; this will remove the amount of phosphorous in rivers, protecting river water quality and wildlife
• £10.1 million to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, from raw water to improve drinking water quality
• £6.7 million to lay more than 9km of new water mains in Haddenham, which will make residents’ water supply more resilient
• £6.7 million to lay more than 9km of new water mains in Haddenham, which will make residents’ water supply more resilient