Anglian Water Begins £30m Boston Upgrade to Cut Sewage Spills Into River Haven

Anglian Water has started work on a £30m scheme to reduce sewage spills in Lincolnshire, upgrading its Boston treatment works with a storm tank able to hold 4.5 million litres and an extra pump at East Side Pumping Station. The BBC reported the work began this month.

Inside Anglian Water's Boston Storm Tank Project

Anglian Water is a UK-regulated water and wastewater utility serving 4.3 million customers across the East of England, operating more than 1,000 water recycling works. The Boston project adds storage and pumping capacity so wastewater can be held and transferred during heavy rain instead of overflowing.

Project manager Brian Drayton said wastewater from across the area is pumped through East Side Pumping Station before treatment at the Boston Water Recycling Centre. The additional pump increases how much wastewater can be moved to the works, while the storm tank stores water until it can be treated. "It's all aimed at reducing spills into the environment," Drayton said.

Anglian Water also plans to install an ultraviolet treatment system at the site in 2028 to reduce bacteria in treated wastewater. Drayton said the system would improve water quality without additional chemicals and that "the River Haven and the Wash will be much cleaner as well". Work at the site off Scalp Road is expected to finish in spring 2027.

Anglian Water's Investment Programme

According to akta.pro company records, Anglian Water committed £1.6 billion in planned investment from April 2026, its largest single year of investment and a 9% increase over the prior year. The company has invested £100 million in drinking water quality over the last five years. Anglian Water recently announced it was investing £350m across Lincolnshire between 2025 and 2030.

Regulator Ratings and Earlier Incidents

The Environment Agency rated Anglian Water as "requires improvement" for the fifth year in a row, the BBC reported on November 2, 2026, with 368 sewerage pollution incidents in 2025 and a red rating. The company recorded 12 serious pollution incidents in 2025. On October 16, 2026, EIN Presswire reported Anglian Water was fined £1.6 million for discharging untreated sewage into the River Brain in Essex between April and June 2022, affecting nearly 14km of the river.

What Comes Next at Boston

The UV treatment system at the Boston site is planned for 2028, and the construction work is expected to finish in spring 2027.