The milestone means that 127 kilometres of interconnecting pipe has now been installed between Bexwell and Colchester, forming a critical part of the wider network that will stretch from North Lincolnshire to Essex - longer than the M1 – and go into supply before the end of the decade. 

The grid will allow between 15 and 55 million litres of water to be moved from ‘wetter’ to ‘drier’ parts of the region. Without it, the region’s rapidly growing population and the visible impacts of climate change would mean that water demand would outstrip supply by 2030. 

Delivered by the Strategic Pipeline Alliance - comprising partners Anglian Water, Costain, Farrans, Jacobs and Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) - it is the largest drinking water project the UK has seen for a generation. 

The project forms part of Anglian Water’s wider 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 completed its main strategic water grid and be ready to begin construction on two new reservoirs for the region – both of which will create jobs and bolster the local economy, helping the region to thrive. 

Mark Thurston, Chief Executive at Anglian Water, said: “The next five years will define how we secure water for future generations. Strategic infrastructure like this pipeline will be essential for the significant growth in our region and building resilience in the face of a changing climate. As we experience hotter, drier summers and record-breaking demand - like the 30 percent increase in water use we saw in June – this pipeline marks a big step forward. We’re putting water resources in place, ready for when they’re needed most.” 

The alliance has worked through challenging conditions in the Fenlands - a naturally marshy part of the region where water levels needed to be carefully managed throughout the year. Throughout the project, teams have ensured protection of the local environment, working sensitively around important species such as water voles, rare birds, bats, badgers and swans. 

Over the coming months, SPA will continue carefully reinstating the land and handing it back to local landowners and communities - restoring the area to how it was before work began. 

Andy Alder, Managing Director for Major Infrastructure Delivery at Anglian Water, said: “Completing pipelaying in the south marks a meaningful milestone along our strategic pipeline. While moving water supply is essential for our future generations, this project is about more than that - it’s about protecting the ecosystems that depend on it. By reducing the need to take water from sensitive sources like chalk streams, we’re helping to keep more water in our rivers and allow nature to thrive. It’s a vital step in building a resilient, sustainable future for our region. 

 

“I’m incredibly proud of what the team has delivered, and this milestone is a testament to their hard work, dedication and shared commitment to doing what’s right for both our people and the environment in the East of England.”

 
In addition to the pipeline, supporting infrastructure such as pumping stations and storage reservoirs are being constructed along the route for water distribution. Work is nearing completion at the first large, above-ground, clean water reservoir along the SPA route at Rede, near Bury St Edmunds. In total, it will hold 20 million litres of water—the equivalent of eight Olympic swimming pools—which will supply customers in the town and onwards towards Ipswich and Colchester. 

The project is leaving more than pipes behind, too. SPA has donated more than 2,500 books to primary schools and is proactively working with children on literacy development, planted thousands of trees to boost biodiversity, and donated life-saving defibrillators to communities.