MP praises water investment

A major long-term investment by Anglian Water  – including in the Broads area – has been welcomed by North Norfolk MP Steff Aquarone.

The £83m will help to reduce sewage spills and protect our waterways, and will be invested over the next five years.

It comes after Steff met water bosses to call for more investment to clean up his constituency.

“I have been campaigning for years to ensure that the people of North Norfolk get the clean water and unpolluted oceans that they deserve, and I am pleased that Anglian Water has listened and put their hands in their pockets for our area,” he said.

“This investment is a good first step in solving the sewage crisis and will help to reduce sewage spills and increase treatment capacity.

“I welcome the investment as a win for North Norfolk, but I won’t stop until the sewage spills do.”

The money will be shared around the area, helping both coastal and inland waterways.

Spending will include about £22m to reduce the phosphorous released into watercourses from eight water recycling centres, including at Corpusty, Stalham and Ludham Walton-Hall.

Other spending will include £32m to connect properties in Antingham, Barton Turf, Hanworth, Bessingham, Happisburgh and Ludham to the sewerage system for the first time.

Some £6m is earmarked to add an additional treatment process at Briston and Stalham WRCs, and another £3m will be spent reducing storm overflow discharges at Briston and Horning Knackers Wood WRCs.

A further £2m will increase the treatment capacity at Horning to cater for population growth.

About £800,000 will be used to install new screening systems on combined storm overflows at Runton, Briston and Ludham-Womack Staithe.

Steff visited the WRC at Horning, where he met Grant Tuffs, Anglian Water’s regional engagement manager, and CEO Mark Thurston.