Frequently Asked Questions

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Message last updated - Thursday 09^th October 2025

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Message last updated - Thursday 09^th October 2025

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Anglian Water are proposing two new desalination plants in the East of England.

While the projects are still at an early stage, below are some answers to frequently asked questions.

Is water produced by desalination safe?

Desalination is used widely across the world to provide safe drinking water to millions of people. If you've visited places like Spain, Germany, or Jersey (UK) in the past five years, there's a good chance you've already drank water produced through this process.

Water produced through desalination is among the purest in the world. During the process of removing salt, other impurities and minerals are also filtered out, resulting in exceptionally clean water. However, our bodies need some essential minerals, which are usually found in natural water sources like rivers and streams. Desalinated water undergoes a process called conditioning, which includes restoring key minerals to ensure the water is both safe and healthy.

Our drinking water is rigorously and continuously tested to ensure it meets the highest safety and quality standards, as enforced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Water produced through desalination would be held to the same standards and would undergoes the same thorough testing.

More information on the UK’s drinking water standards can be found on the Drinking Water Inspectorate website.

Who is the water for?

We're currently exploring different options regarding whether each desalination plan will be producing potable drinking water for consumers, non-potable water directly to local industry, or both.

Find out more about the Anglian Water customer region in our Core Customer Information guide.

How much will the project cost?

In Ofwat’s final determination, the regulator allocated £149 million to the early development of our proposals for two desalination projects in AMP8 (the current investment period). With the aim that construction of the projects would begin in early AMP9.

The whole life cost of the projects is estimated at £2.3 billion for the Norfolk project and £2.2 billion for the Lincolnshire project. However, these estimates are based on assumed capacity, which has yet to be confirmed and, as such, are subject to change.

What planning process will the plants use?

We're currently proceeding on the basis that the plans are likely to be consented via the Town and Country Planning Act (sometimes referred to as “local planning”). However, this is not yet confirmed, and it is possible that the plants will be designated as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and require a Development Consent Order (DCO).

This will become clear as the project progresses and we have a better understanding of the plants’ capacity. The next version of our WRMP29 will help provide further clarity on this.

Read more information on the DCO process.

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