New storm tank installed near Thetford to prevent flooding
The project cost £850,000
Anglian Water has installed a new storm tank near Thetford, in line with new Environment Agency regulations.
The £850,000 project at Watton is meant to help prevent flooding during heavy rainfall.
It's part of a larger programme of work to increase storm water storage across the East of England, with overall investment in the programme totalling more than £100 million.
The additional storm water storage across the region will help to capture and redirect more than 72.5 million litres of rainwater – equivalent to 29 Olympic sized swimming pools – to help protect the environment during heavy rainfall.
The new storm tank at Watton will help to capture an additional 568,000 litres of storm water during extreme weather and flooding, so it can then be treated before being returned to the nearby water courses.
The company says this builds resilience to extreme weather caused by climate change and will help protect the environment by reducing the use of storm overflows, providing additional protection for rivers, many of which in the East of England are unique chalk stream habitats.
Claire Hickey, Regional Treatment Manager, said: “We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities.
"We’re really pleased that this scheme will help to protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change, by helping us make sure the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the natural environment.
“As a result of climate change, we’re seeing more bouts of extreme weather, sudden downpours and rising sea levels, so it’s really important that our sites are prepared to process higher volumes of stormwater and protect the environment."