Anglian asks for water capacity to be considered in planning new towns

Anglian Water has called on the Government to consider water and wastewater capacity as part of the new town decision-making process.

While supportive of housebuilding ambitions, and set to invest £11bn in 2025-30 including in the development of two new reservoirs, Anglian pointed out that the development of new towns in its region would mean growth above that catered for in its investment plan.

“As a result, there is a risk that a new town could be proposed in an area which does not have the capacity to provide water services without increasing the risk of harm to the environment or communities from flooding and pollution incidents.” In contrast, if the New Towns Taskforce takes water and wastewater capacity into account, "this will help to prevent issues such as water scarcity and disruption, and instead, enable water smart communities.”

Anglian urged the New Towns Taskforce to take heed of the Enabling Smart Water Communities Project it has been working on with Arup, CIWEM and the University of East Anglia. This “aims to bring together water management and sustainable housing. The innovations the group are developing focus on delivering water neutrality through Sustainable Drainage Schemes and water reuse schemes”.