Hey water workers, how’s it growing?

Anglian Water workers went all to seed recently – but for a good cause. 

A group of nine from the water company rose to the occasion and travelled to Newborough, in Cambridgeshire, where they took part in a gargantuan session of flower seed planting. 

The village, which is about five miles north of Peterborough, sits along the route of a planned water main network which will soon grow across the region. 

The volunteers managed to sow more than a quarter of a million seeds in just one morning to enrich the village’s biodiversity. 

The wildflowers covered almost 30 different varieties and included everything from cornflowers to campion and foxgloves to forget-me-knots. 

The seeds were sown in four different areas of the village: the churchyard, a park, and on allotments. 

As well as planting, the group of volunteers cut and rolled grass and raked soil in preparation. 

The Anglian Water team were joined by a village volunteer and a member of Peterborough Environment City Trust who spoke about the importance of rebuilding biodiverse environments and habitats. 

Alexandra Ismay, from the team delivering the new pipelines, said: “It was a cold, foggy morning but the work soon warmed us up, especially when we had to do the seed dance to make sure the seeds were properly pressed into the soil. We estimated that we had sown 304, 976 seeds! 

“Environmental sustainability is at the heart of our programme – delivering hundreds of kilometres of new water pipelines to prevent water shortages – but an important part of that is also to protect and enhance nature and biodiversity in the areas we’re working.”   

Pipelaying work on the new 90km pipeline from Grantham to Bexwell, near Downham Market, which passes close to Newborough, is due to begin next year. 

It is one section of a new network which will stretch from Lincolnshire to Essex, bringing water from the wettest parts in the north of the region to the driest areas in the south and east. And forms part of Anglian Water’s future planning and preparations to ensure water supplies are there for generations to come whilst protecting the region’s environment. 

The combined effects of climate change and high population growth in the region means that, without action, the East of England could run out of water as soon as 2030.   

This summer was the East of England’s driest since 1959. Despite recent rainfall, most of the region’s reservoirs, river levels and underground water stores all remain below normal for this time of year. Even more rain and even more help from customers is needed to save water now, for next summer.   

The entire new pipe network is expected to go into service in 2025.