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 of litres of clean and healthy drinking water to its customers each and every day. New infrastructure like this is needed to make sure there’s enough water to go round for the future.  

If everything runs smoothly, the work to install the new pipework is expected to be completed by September. 

The work follows a further £4.2 million upgrade at Gedney Hill, which started in April and will see 18km of new pipes installed, signalling Anglian Water’s significant investment to upgrade and future proof the water supply in the area. 

Megan Sperryn, Customer Experience Specialist for the project, said: “We’re building for better in our region, with a £348 million investment over the next five years to renew more than 1,100 kilometres of water pipes across the East of England. We’re focusing on the pipes that need it most to help reduce leaks and keep water supplies reliable for the future. 

“To do our work safely, we’ll need to work on South Drove as it’s the only safe way to complete this upgrade. We’ll use temporary traffic lights where we can, but some sections of the road will need to be closed while we install the new pipe. Once our work's finished, Lincolnshire Highways will carry out resurfacing work on the road. We’d encourage all residents and road users to visit our webpage to view details of all planned roadworks. 

“Residents who live within the closure will still be able to access their home. One end of the road will be completely closed, but the other will stay open just enough for you to carefully drive past our work. We thank residents for their patience while we carry out this substantial upgrade.” 

While Anglian Water completes this essential work, customers’ water and sewerage services shouldn’t be affected, and if the water company does need to switch off the water supply for a short time, advance warning will be given. Local residents can access full details about the roadworks plan, including the official diversion routes on the project webpage at anglianwaterproject.com/SouthDrove. 

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. 

This work is being completed by Anglian Water’s Integrated Maintenance, Repair and Developer Services (IMRDS), which tackles a wide range of challenges across Anglian Water’s network. From using smart meters to monitor water usage to replacing old pipes and connecting new homes and developments, the IMRDS Alliance supports growth across the region and protects water resources for future generations. You can find out more information here.