Anglian Water has finished work on a scheme to lay three new sewer pipes in Lowestoft, because existing pipes were at risk from coastal erosion on the beach at the town’s Gunton Warren Nature Reserve.

The company’s region, which covers the East of England, is the driest and flattest part of the country – meaning the effects of climate change, including extreme weather events, are already being keenly felt. In Lowestoft, increasingly frequent storms and extreme weather are causing the beach at the Gunton Warren Nature Reserve to wear away, putting the three critical sewer pipes running through the Reserve at risk.

One of the pipes carried all of Lowestoft’s wastewater to the Water Recycling Centre (WRC) to be treated. A second pipe carried the cleaned water away from the WRC to the outfall in the sea, safely returning it to the environment. The third pipe takes away wastewater from the nearby pumping station for treatment.

The scheme, which began in January 2022 and finished in December, has seen the vital infrastructure moved inland to protect the town’s sewer network.

Anglian Water also worked in close partnership with East Suffolk Council and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust to plan the best route for the new pipeline. This included surveys to ascertain how to protect the Gunton Warren Nature Reserve, reducing the scheme’s impact on established flora and fauna and the habits of hibernating animals at the nature reserve. The collaboration follows work from the water company in 2020 to support East Suffolk Council’s flood alleviation scheme in Lowestoft.

Rebecca Shaw, Project Manager for Anglian Water said:

“If we didn’t do this work, we expect that the pipes would be lost to coastal erosion within two or three years, and a bad winter this year could have accelerated this even sooner. If these pipes had been exposed, not only would this put our customers at risk, but it could also have resulted in sewage spills in the North Sea.”

By preventing sewage spills in the sea, Anglian Water said the work supports the Get River Positive initiative, launched in partnership with neighbouring water company Severn Trent earlier this year.

The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across the two companies’ regions, and demonstrates a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers.