Anglian Water is to start work to install a new storm tank and upgrade technology at its main water recycling centre (WRC) in Peterborough in November, in line with new Environment Agency regulations.

The scheme forms part of a £27 million investment programme to overhaul Peterborough's water and sewerage infrastructure.

The project marks an investment of more than £10 million to Anglian Water’s Flag Fen WRC, as 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 programme specifically aims to increase resilience across the East of England, which is likely to see the impacts of the climate emergency – like drought and flooding – more keenly than anywhere else in the UK. It forms part of the company’s Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), a programme of environmental investment which is taking place between 2020-2025.

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Anglian's WINEP totals over £800 million of work which is specifically targeted at protecting the environment and improving river water quality. It is the largest WINEP plan of any water company, with double the number of commitments made and delivered in the previous five-year period.

The new storm tanks at Peterborough will be able to capture 19 million litres of storm water during extreme weather and flooding – the equivalent of more than seven Olympic swimming pools – so it can then be treated before being returned to the River Nene nearby. This builds resilience to extreme weather caused by climate change and protecting the environment by helping to reduce the use of storm overflows, providing additional protection for rivers, many of which in the East of England are unique chalk stream habitats. Work is expected to be complete on the project by the end of 2024.

Regan Harris, spokesperson for Anglian Water, said: "We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities, which is why we’re investing £27 million into Peterborough’s water and sewerage infrastructure. 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. That’s why we've committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers, with schemes like this one in Peterborough."