Anglian Water plans £500,000 pipes upgrade in Kettering

Anglian Water said the work would keep taps running and toilets flushing for years to come

A water company has said a £500,000 upgrade of water pipes will make the network in Northamptonshire more resilient.

Work to install more than 1km (0.6 miles) of new pipes in the Kettering area is expected to take three months.

Anglian Water said it was taking action because the East of England faced a "water deficit" of 30 million litres a day by 2025.

The work will involve some disruption to traffic.

The company said 1.2km (0.7 miles) of new water pipes would be installed between the villages of Warkton and Barton Seagrave which "will secure resilient water supplies for residents and businesses in Northamptonshire area, keeping taps running and toilets flushing for years to come".

Warkton Lane will be one of the roads affected by the work

In a report commissioned by Anglian Water last year, the company revealed that Northamptonshire was set to face "significant pressures" trying to accommodate an estimated population growth of 11% by 2043.

The firm said the population and housing growth would put "an additional strain on the region's water and sewerage infrastructure".

"Against a backdrop of hotter and drier weather, a resilient water supply will become more important than ever to Northamptonshire's growing population," a spokesperson said.

It estimated that, by 2025, there would be a shortfall of water equivalent to 4,380 Olympic swimming pools every year, caused by the population growth, climate change and the natural lack of water in the area.

Some traffic management will be in place between Warkton and Barton Seagrave during the work

Becky Housden, the customer experience coordinator for the Kettering project, said: "Securing water resources for our customers has never been more important.

"Projects like this one in Kettering mean we can ensure everyone in our region has a resilient supply of clean drinking water now and in the future."

Some traffic management will be in place during the work and Warkton Lane will be closed for two to three weeks in April.