Anglian Water teams have completed the installation of over 10km worth of water pipes between Keysoe and Ravensden, as part of a £3.1 million investment programme to reduce bursts, interruptions to supply and to keep water flowing for decades to come.

Two teams from Anglian Water’s @one Alliance worked on the project at either end of the route to get the project completed as quickly and safely as possible, working to replace existing pipes that had reached the end of their useful life which may have led to recurring bursts and affected the local water supply.

The East of England is the driest part of the country, and also one of the fastest growing, with more than 700,000 new residents expected in the next 20 years. The water company already sends nearly a billion litres of clean and healthy drinking water to its customers each and every day. Upgraded and improved infrastructure like this is needed to make sure there’s enough water to go around for the future.

Alongside the installation of new pipework, the water company took the opportunity to fix a few existing issues that were uncovered along the route, including replacing older lead supply pipes and repairing culvert drains. Fixing these as the project progressed will help to prevent future problems and avoid the need to dig the road up again at a later date.

This latest upgrade programme follows on from an initial £600,000 investment scheme to upgrade the network in the area back in 2022, demonstrating Anglian Water’s commitment to improving infrastructure across the region.

Matthew Newbold, Customer Experience Specialist for the project, said: “We operate in the driest region of the country, but the East of England is also one of the fastest growing. That’s why we’re building for better, with projects like this, which will help make sure we can keep taps running and toilets flushing for years to come.

“We worked closely with local residents and stakeholders throughout this project and we are grateful for their support and understanding during the duration of the project. We were pleased to have been able to modify our works or traffic management measures at times in order to support local community events such as the Scarecrow Festival, Christmas, various weddings, funerals, Remembrance services and fireworks displays.

“Our teams even took the time to volunteer at the Stables Christian Centre, repair damaged signs in the villages, and donate money towards a local playground, all in the spirit of being a good neighbour during our time in the area. We’d like to thank residents in Keysoe, Ravensden, Bolnhurst, Wilden and surrounding villages for bearing with us while we completed this important upgrade to keep your taps flowing for years to come.”

This work follows the driest spring and summer since 1976, with the warmest summer on record for the UK. This meant the majority of Anglian Water’s water resources were at low levels heading into the 2025/26 winter. Fortunately, due to several wet months and careful management, the company has been able to capture and store more rainfall, and most sources are now back to normal levels. Going into the warmer and drier months of the year, Anglian Water teams are continuing to work round the clock to fix pipes, upgrade systems and secure more water for the future. Anglian Water is also encouraging customers to be water-wise ahead of the warmer months, to keep supplies readily available for the region.

The work was delivered by Anglian Water’s long-term delivery partner, the @one Alliance, working to build better water infrastructure across the region. The @one Alliance brings together specialist teams from Anglian Water Asset Delivery and expert partner companies including Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Binnies, Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB), MWH Treatment, Sweco and Skanska to plan, design and deliver major improvements like this for local communities.

From taking shorter showers to putting a full load in your washing machine (saving up to 10 litres of water) little steps can really make a difference. Find more water-saving tips here, and for further information on Anglian Water’s £11 billion investment programme, visit this page.