Foundation through merger Anglian Water Authority was created in 1974 by virtue of the
Water Act 1973. It subsumed the roles and responsibilities of: • East Suffolk and Norfolk River Authority •
Essex River Authority • Great Ouse River Authority • Lincolnshire River Authority • Welland and Nene River Authority It also took over
sewage treatment and
sewerage responsibilities of all the local authorities in the area with the exception of: •
Dunstable •
Gainsborough •
Glanford Brigg •
Houghton Regis •
Thurrock It also took over the water supply functions previously exercised by the following: •
Ipswich Corporation Waterworks • Buckingham Corporation Waterworks • Norwich Corporation Waterworks • Bedfordshire Water Board • Bucks Water Board • Colchester and District Water Board • East Lincolnshire Water Board • Ely, Mildenhall and Newmarket Water Board • Higham Ferrers and Rushden Water Board • Kesteven Water Board •
Lincoln and District Water Board • Mid-Northamptonshire Water Board • Nene and Ouse Water Board • North East Lincolnshire Water Board • North Lindsey Water Board • North-West Norfolk Water Board • South Lincolnshire Water Board • South Norfolk Water Board • West Suffolk Water Board • Wisbech and District Water Board Four private statutory water companies operated in the area of the water authority. In their supply areas, Anglian Water Authority provided sewage services only. •
Cambridge Water Company •
East Anglian Water Company •
Essex Water Company •
Tendring Hundred Waterworks Company Predecessors Ipswich Corporation Waterworks Ipswich Corporation Waterworks was established in 1892, taking over the existing private Ipswich Water Works Company by the
Ipswich Corporation (Purchase of Water Works) Act 1892 (
55 & 56 Vict. c. xciv). The
Ipswich Water Works Company had been founded in 1852, and gained statutory authority under the
Ipswich Waterworks Act 1857 (
20 & 21 Vict. c. xlvii).
Buckingham Corporation Waterworks Norwich Corporation Waterworks The Norwich Corporation Waterworks was established when the
Norwich Corporation Act 1920 (
10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. xcv) transferred the undertaking of the private City of Norwich Waterworks Company to Norwich Corporation. The '
had been founded by the ' (
13 & 14 Vict. c. lii).
Bedfordshire Water Board The Bedfordshire Water Board was constituted by the '''''' (
SI 1960/1473).
Bucks Water Board The Bucks Water Board was formed by the '''''' (
1 Edw. 8 & 1 Geo. 6. c. xcv) from the water undertakings of the rural district councils of Aylesbury, Buckingham Wing and Winslow. The '''''' (
9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. xx) transferred the undertaking of the
Chiltern Hills Spring Water Company into the Bucks Water Board. The '
(7 & 8 Eliz. 2. c. xxxii) added the ', High Wycombe Corporation Waterworks, the Marlow Water Company, and the water undertakings of Bletchley Urban District Council, Newport Pagnell Urban District Council, Towcester Urban District Council, and Wycombe Urban District Council. The '
was incorporated by the ' (
33 & 34 Vict. c. xxv). The '
was authorised to supply water by the '. The '
was incorporated by the ' (
25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. xxiv), and took over the earlier Great Marlow Water Company. The
Limited was authorised to supply water by the ''''''.
Colchester and District Water Board The Colchester and District Water Board was formed by the '''''' (
SI 1960/1187), from the Colchester Corporation Waterworks, and the water undertakings of the surrounding rural district councils. The '
was incorporated by the (48 Geo. 3. c. cxxxvii). It was dissolved and reincorporated as the by the (42 & 43 Vict. c. cxxi). The waterworks were purchased by Colchester Corporation in 1880, and became '.
East Lincolnshire Water Board The East Lincolnshire Water Board was created by the '''''' (
SI 1963/1159).
Ely, Mildenhall and Newmarket Water Board The Ely, Mildenhall and Newmarket Water Board was established by the '''''' (
SI 1962/503).
Higham Ferrers and Rushden Water Board The Higham Ferrers and Rushden Water Board was formed by the '''''' (
2 Edw. 7. c. xii) from the water undertaking of Rushden Urban District Council, to supply water to Higham Ferrers and Rushden. The '
was authorised to supply water by the ' (
63 & 64 Vict. c. xxvii). However, before it was able to proceed with the works, the powers were transferred to the new water board.
Kesteven Water Board The Kesteven Water Board was founded by the '''''' (
SI 1961/2349). It took over the undertaking of Sleaford Urban District Council and the Grantham Waterworks Company. It had offices in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The '
had been formed by the ' (
36 & 37 Vict. c. iv).
Lincoln and District Water Board The Lincoln and District Water Board was created by the '''''' (
SI 1961/441). It took over the
Lincoln Corporation Waterworks.
Mid-Northamptonshire Water Board The Mid-Northamptonshire Water Board was formed by the '
(12 & 13 Geo. 6 c. ix), confirming the '. It was constituted from the Woodford Halse Water Company and part of the distribution network of the Corby (Northants) and District Water Company, as well as the water undertakings of the councils of Daventry, Kettering, Northampton, Burton Latimer, Corby, Desborough, Rothwell, Wellingborough, Brixworth, Market Harborough, and Uppingham.
Nene and Ouse Water Board The Nene and Ouse Water Board was formed by the '
(SI 1961/2328). It absorbed the '.
North East Lincolnshire Water Board The '
was created by the ' (
1 Edw. 8 & 1 Geo. 6. c. xli), taking over the undertaking of the private Great Grimsby Waterworks Company Limited. It had offices in Town Hall Square, Grimsby. The name was changed to North East Lincolnshire Water Board by the '''''' (
SI 1959/358) with the addition of the undertakings of Caistor Rural District Council and Market Rasen Urban District Council. The Limited had been incorporated in 1862, and authorised under the '''''' (
26 & 27 Vict. c. xxxv) to supply water to Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The '
was incorporated by the (6 Edw. 7. c. xxxvi), replacing the Limited, which had been authorised to supply water by the ', confirmed by the
Water Orders Confirmation Act 1897 (
60 & 61 Vict. c. clvi).
North Lindsey Water Board The North Lindsey Water Board was created by the '''''' (
24 & 25 Geo. 5 c. xci).
North-West Norfolk Water Board The North-West Norfolk Water Board was formed by the '''''' (
SI 1969/104)
South Lincolnshire Water Board The South Lincolnshire Water Board was constituted by the '''''' (
SI 1962/840). The '
was incorporated by the ' (
6 Edw. 7. c. cxcvi). The '
was established by the ' (
7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. xx)
South Norfolk Water Board The South Norfolk Water Board was constituted by the '''''' (
SI 1969/55).
West Suffolk Water Board The West Suffolk Water Board was created by the '''''' (
SI 1963/1622).
Wisbech and District Water Board The Wisbech and District Water Board was formed by the '''''' (
SI 1950/1533).
Demise through privatisation In 1989, the
privatisation of the
water industry in England and Wales saw the creation of
Anglian Water who took over the water treatment and supply and sewerage and sewage disposal functions. All the remaining regulatory functions including flood control, water quality management, pollution control and water resource management were transferred to the newly created
National Rivers Authority, which was subsequently subsumed into the new
Environment Agency in 1996. ==Notes==