Anglian Water has announced who will form its new Strategic Pipeline Alliance, following a competitive procurement process.
The water firm will join forces with construction and engineering giants Costain, Farrans, Jacobs and Mott MacDonald Bentley as part of a contract worth more than £350 million, to complete one of the UK’s largest strategic water infrastructure projects.
The programme forms a key part of Anglian’s Water Resources Management Plan, which looks 25 years ahead to manage and secure the water resources by safe-guarding against the potential future impacts of water scarcity, climate change and growth, while protecting the environment.
A vital element of the plan is to create up to 500km of interconnecting pipes and associated pumping equipment, and upgrade existing infrastructure, to allow water transfer across the water company’s region.
By installing new pipework to better join up the existing water network, Anglian will be able to move water more freely around the region in stages, from areas of water surplus in north Lincolnshire down, to the south and east of the region, where it is less readily available.
Commenting on the project, Strategic Pipeline Alliance director James Crompton said: “The challenges of population growth and a changing climate are felt nowhere more keenly than here in the East of England, which is one of the driest parts of the UK. Starting this project is a significant part of our planned investment in the region over the next five years, which will begin to tackle those challenges and secure customer supplies well into the future.
“The programme will make it possible to reduce the amount of water taken from the environment, as well as strengthening resilience by reducing the number of homes and businesses which rely on a single water source.
“It will be a complex and challenging major infrastructure development. It presents an exciting opportunity for these civil engineering, design and construction experts and we're delighted to have four such prestigious partners on board.”
