We know the recent coverage of the water sector has left many people frustrated, disappointed, and, for some, deeply upset. Your trust matters, and so does the health of our environment and the wellbeing of the communities we serve. We take that responsibility seriously. 

 

In 2023, we supported Water UK’s apology because change was needed. We’ve invested in our network and infrastructure for many years, but we recognise that our environmental performance hasn’t always been good enough. That’s not the standard you expect, or the one we expect of ourselves. We’re committed to making things better and rebuilding trust through consistent, long‑term action.

 

Protecting nature and supporting the communities we serve matters deeply to us, and we’re taking action to make things right. We’re investing more than ever to reduce pollutions, care for rivers, and strengthen the systems that keep water where it should be. Progress is being made, and there’s more to do. Government reforms to regulation are also helping to create a clearer, more accountable future for the sector.

 

Building a better future 
We know that having water you can rely on is vital for the people of our region. We’re investing more than ever before to make this happen, as well as investing in communities and an environment that can grow and thrive. With a planned investment of over £11 billion, it’s the biggest upgrade of our time.

Between now and 2030, our Business Plan sets out a major programme of upgrades to improve our network, treatment works and environmental protections, to build for a better future. For today, tomorrow, for generations to come – for you.

 

 

Saish, Maintenance Technician Apprentice

I chose Anglian Water because I wanted to make a genuine difference to our communities and do the right thing for our customers – and it feels really good to be able to do that.

Bathing waters 
We’re lucky in our region — we’ve got the longest stretch of coastline of any English water company. Our region is also the home to beautiful beaches, rivers and reservoirs that thousands of people enjoy every year. These are the places where people can swim, paddle, walk, unwind and breathe. They’re special to our communities, which is why looking after them matters so much.

Over the last twenty years, we’ve invested more than £300 million to protect and improve coastal water quality. It’s helped safeguard the spots people love — the same places that support local businesses and bring visitors back year after year.

 

And it’s paying off. In 2025, our region achieved the highest bathing water results in the country, with both coastal and inland locations performing above the national average. These ratings are based on four years of thorough testing by the Environment Agency and reflect the hard work happening behind the scenes to protect these spaces that people rely on.

 

In 2024, three new inland bathing sites were designated in our region — including the swimming area at Rutland Water, now the first inland site in England to be rated excellent for water quality. And by 2030, we’ll be investing even more to protect and improve bathing waters, so these favourite spots stay clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.

 

Last year, 52 of the 54 designated bathing waters in our region were rated good or excellent. It’s real progress — and we’re committed to improving the remaining two, along with the wider environment that supports them.

 

You can find further information on the classifications of our region's bathing waters here.

River He​alth
The rivers in our region are woven into everyday life. Because they matter so much to the communities around them, keeping them healthy is incredibly important.

 

But river health is shaped by lots of different things: farming, roads, industry, changes to river channels, as well as our own network. Improving it isn’t something any one organisation can do alone. It takes teamwork.

 

That’s why we’re working with local communities, farmers, landowners and environmental groups to reduce these impacts together through our Get River Positive programme. Together, we’re tackling the pressures on our rivers and finding better ways to care for them.

 

Since 2022, we’ve improved around 1,000km of waterways, with more improvements planned over the next five years, including new technology, acres of wetlands and nature-based solutions. All designed to help our rivers stay healthy, resilient and full of life for the people who love and depend on them. 

Sewage treatment and storm overflows 
Storm overflows have been part of the sewer system for generations, originally designed to protect homes and businesses from flooding during heavy rainfall. But we know that’s not enough for the future, so now we’re doing things differently. Our upgrades mean we’ve been able to remove 340 storm overflows from our network, and the work doesn’t stop there.

 

We’re now investing more to reduce storm spills and pollutions, including:

 

  • More storage so the sewer network can handle up to seven times more rainfall and support our growing communities.
  • Upgraded water recycling centres so treated water is cleaner than ever when it returns to nature.
  • Smart sewers monitors are being added across the network to spot and prevent blockages.
  • More frontline teams focused on preventing pollutions and protecting the environment.

 

Since 2020, we’ve invested around £200 million in reducing storm spills and we’re ahead of target, but there’s more to do. By 2030, we’ll invest a further £245 million to tackle the cause of pollutions earlier, so we can put a stop to problems before they begin.

 

And with customers’ help, we’ve already cut blockages from wipes and other unflushables by 39% in hotspot areas, helping to prevent pollutions. See our Pollution Incident Reduction Plan (PIRP) 2025 for details.

 

“Our teams are so passionate about helping the environment and supplying clean water to our customers. And in my role, I feel like I’m making a big difference, because I can see the positive impact we're having, reducing pollutions, protecting the environment and our communities.” - Alex, Flow Catchment Technician 

 

Our people and communities

Our people are at the heart of Anglian Water. Every day, they bring their passion to work by always exploring better ways to do the right thing for the region and the communities they proudly serve.

We care about looking after our people – building their careers and giving them skills that serve both them and our region. And with the amount of investment that we have planned, we need even more talented people to join our business and fuel these improvements, which will see us create circa 2,000 new jobs across the region.  


"I’m proud to work at Anglian Water because I help people across our region take their first steps into meaningful careers—whether through apprenticeships, graduate programmes or by providing employability training and support. Helping people progress, building skills for the future, and supporting our environment and communities makes my work very rewarding." Graham, Future Skills Resourcing Manager

 

We believe in supporting the communities across our region — whether that’s working side‑by‑side with people to encourage positive behaviour change, visiting local schools to inspire the customers of the future, or providing funding for local projects through initiatives like the Thriving Communities Fund. Communities are the heartbeat of our region, and we’re dedicated to helping them grow, flourish and thrive.

Natasha, Senior Outreach Manager

Our community and education programme helps us turn our purpose into action; we inspire our communities by exploring the world of water together. Our goal is to educate and work together with communities to cocreate solutions to protect the environment, and become partners in Loving Every Drop.

Reporting and performance  


We want to be open about where we’re improving and where we need to go further. That’s why we’ve published a sector first Purpose Performance Dashboard to show where we’re progressing and where more work is needed.

 

At Anglian Water, our purpose is to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we serve through our commitment to Love Every Drop. This is what drives what we do and the decisions we make, and helps us to hold ourselves to account and make change when things don’t go to plan.

 

Our shareholders continue to demonstrate their long-term support through their commitment to invest into Anglian Water Group. £300 million has already been invested, and a further £200 million will be provided June 2026.

 

Alongside this, there are no plans to provide shareholders with a dividend to 2030, further demonstrating their commitment to our plans for the future.

Colin, Water Recycling Operations Director

This company is all about protecting the environment and bringing prosperity to our region. I feel like I’m part of something really important, supporting our communities and each other.