Suffolk Water Recycling, Transfer and Storage

Suffolk Water Recycling, Transfer and Storage is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) developed by Essex and Suffolk Water (part of Northumbrian Water), to construct an Advanced Water Recycling Plant and strategic network enhancements. 

The scheme is proposed to be located in North Suffolk. 

On 19 September 2025, the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published a Section 35 Direction making the project an NSIP. In practice, this means that the project will be decided by the Secretary of State of DEFRA, instead of the local County or District Councils, Unitary Councils, or Mayoral Authority. The full Section 35 Direction can be found on the Government website.

Further information can be found on the Applicant's (Essex & Suffolk Water) website, including the option of receiving updates about the project directly from Essex and Suffolk Water.

In summary the project consists of:

• An Advanced Water Recycling Plant (AWRP) with a maximum daily deployable output of 11 Ml/d [million litres per day]. The site for the AWRP is likely to require approximately 9 hectares (ha). The AWRP will receive up to 16 Ml/d of treated wastewater from the existing Lowestoft Water Recycling Centre (WRC) which is owned and operated by Anglian Water Services.
• Construction of a new pumping station and potential minor modifications to the existing works at the Lowestoft WRC, to divert treated wastewater to the AWRP.
• Two proposed Service Reservoirs (SRs) for storage of drinking water, located at strategic locations for onward supply and storage. The two SRs are to be sized to provide 36 hours of storage. The central SR will have a capacity of approximately 17ML and the western SR will be approximately 13ML. It is likely the SRs will require a construction site size of approximately 4ha each.

Contact Essex & Suffolk Water

Find out more about the proposals on Essex & Suffolk Water's Suffolk Water Recycling, Transfer and Storage project website.