The Anglian Water Authority was a British regional water authority that served the East Anglia region. It was formed in 1974 by virtue of the Water Act 1973 as one of the regional water authorities.
It established its headquarters in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. The authority boundary was the pre-existing boundaries of the constituent river authorities whose total area made Anglian Water Authority the largest of the ten newly created Authorities. It was privatised in 1989, to create Anglian Water which took over many of its assets and responsibilities, the remainder being vested in the Environment Agency.
History
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).
The was incorporated by the (58 & 59 Vict. c. xiii). The (21 & 22 Geo. 5. c. cv) renamed the company the . The company was absorbed into Ipswich Corporation Waterworks by the (SI 1967/530).
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).
It was preceded by the , formed by the (27 & 28 Vict. c. clxxx).
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.
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