Anglian Water is set to invest around £350 million across Lincolnshire between 2025 and 2030 as part of its £11 billion AMP8 investment programme - its largest ever programme of investment.

The water company said that as the demand for water continues to grow in the face of climate change and a growing population, this will help strengthen Lincolnshire’s water and water recycling network to ensure services remain resilient and reliable for decades.

In the first year of the programme, the company has replaced more than 40km of water mains, including a significant project in Spalding, with plans to replace a further 120km this year. These upgrades will help reduce leaks and bursts, improving reliability and keeping water flowing to homes and businesses.

The company’s Strategic Pipeline Alliance project will also see hundreds of kilometres of new interconnecting pipelines installed from Elsham in North Lincolnshire down to Essex to help move water around the region to where it is needed most, building resilience against future drought conditions. The most northernly section, a 52km pipeline between Elsham and Lincoln, has been in construction and is expected to be completed in the coming months. 

A key part of Anglian Water’s long-term resilience plans is the proposed new reservoir near Sleaford, with its third stage of public consultation now live until 16 December 2026. Once completed, the reservoir could provide up to 169 million litres of water every day, helping secure supplies while reducing pressure on sensitive water sources and supporting the local environment.

Alongside improving water supplies, Anglian Water is investing £69 million to help protect Lincolnshire's rivers and coastline, including upgrades across its water recycling centres and investment into new treatment processes. Anglian Water is investing a further £25 million to improve bathing water quality and help protect the county's beaches and coastal environment. It is also increasing stormwater storage capacity to help the network cope with heavier rainfall and reduce the risk of pollution spills during extreme weather.

Supporting local communities during essential investment upgrades

In order to deliver this scale of investment, Anglian Water says it is working closely with Lincolnshire County Council, as a founding partner of the council’s Street Works Charter, to minimise disruption for residents and businesses while these essential investment upgrades are carried out.

As the county’s largest utility provider, Anglian Water submits around 14,000 roadwork permits to the council each year. The two organisations are working together to improve how roadworks are planned and managed, where possible, to avoid multiple sets of traffic management on the same routes and reduce repeat disruption for communities.

Through the success of the Street Works Charter, 80 per cent of urgent and emergency works are now completed within three days, up from 62 per cent before the Charter was introduced.

James Ball, Water Distribution and IMRDS Director at Anglian Water, said:

"We know investment on this scale means work taking place in our communities, which is why our partnership with Lincolnshire County Council is so important. By planning ahead, coordinating activity and finding ways to reduce disruption wherever possible, we're working hard to deliver these improvements as efficiently as we can. The disruption is felt now, but these improvements will bring lasting benefits.”

Ashley Behan, Traffic Manager at Lincolnshire County Council, added:

“Lincolnshire is seeing significant investment in essential infrastructure, and our role is to help that work take place as efficiently as possible while keeping people moving around the county. Partnering with Anglian Water through our Street Works Charter gives us a shared commitment to keep improving.”