Search iconFind a job Log in iconCareers log in

Anglian Water: Strategic Pipeline Alliance

The Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) is creating hundreds of kilometres of new, interconnecting pipelines to help combat the impact of climate change and keep fresh, clean water flowing across the Anglian Water region.

Our aim is to make the region, one of the most rapidly growing in the country, resilient to the risks of drought by securing water supplies for future generations.

The new network is one of the largest infrastructure projects for a generation.

It is a complex and challenging major infrastructure project.

We selected partners that bring a wealth of experience, new mindsets, thinking and innovation for what is an incredibly exciting programme. They are: Costain, Farrans, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald Bentley.

Male in high vis jacket pushing buttons on machine in water treatment centre

Why work for the Strategic Pipeline Alliance?

As ever, we at SPA strive to create the right environment to keep Anglian Water at the forefront of the industry and look, in return, for high-performing candidates who demonstrate values that align with ours.

Due to the nature of the alliance, and based on the role offered, you will be employed by one of the five partners, joining teams containing some of the most talented and innovative consultants and contractors in the region at a crucial time.

You will need to demonstrate: integrity, mental agility, leadership skills, a desire to learn and an open, honest and caring nature.

SPA Recruitment

Meet our Team!

Hear from some of our great employees about their experiences

Alexandra Ismay
Sustainability Assistant - SPA
Craig Snow
Project Installation and Assembly Manager (PIAM E2L) - SPA
Sharon May
Project and Office Co-ordinator - SPA
Alexandra Ismay
Sustainability Assistant - SPA

I like working at the SPA as it is a large project which is making a difference in my local area. I am part of a great team of people and gaining valuable skills I can take into my future. 

Craig Snow
Project Installation and Assembly Manager (PIAM E2L) - SPA

I find it fantastically rewarding to take an active role in delivering a project that we know is a genuine piece of national infrastructure that is required to ensure the supply of water to a large part of the UK. As a civil engineer it is great to have this project as a part of my career. 

Sharon May
Project and Office Co-ordinator - SPA

Having worked within the SPA team for over two years, I have found it to be a great opportunity to build my knowledge and share best practice with other partners to enable us to deliver a fantastic project. Constantly challenging, yet also very rewarding. 

Pipe plough

Innovation at SPA comes in different guises and at all stages of water supply. 

An impressive example is that – in a UK first for the water industry – we planted some new water mains in Norfolk using remote-controlled machinery very similar to an agricultural plough. 

The cutting-edge solution is a quicker, greener, less costly, and safer way of laying water pipes. 

The work was part of our ongoing plan to lay hundreds of kilometres of new pipes to help combat the impact of climate change by moving water from the wetter parts of the region to the drier areas. 

Without this forward thinking, some parts of the East of England could face massive water shortages. 

SPA director James Crompton said: “We want to offer best practice in all areas of our work and constantly help raise ambition and standards.”  

Welding

SPA recently partnered with another expert company to make our pipes as maintenance-free as possible. 

Going back to pipes to repair them is costly, wasteful and uses up a lot of time which could be better spent elsewhere. 

So we joined forces with welding specialists Serimax Limited to change the way our steel pipes are welded. 

The result is impressive: the new technique has dramatically reduced the need for internal pipe repairs, which is good for us and good for our customers. 

Our vision now is to roll out this technique to every one of our steel pipes to make the most of the new solution. 

We did a lot of research before choosing the right welding company for us, and the partnership has once again proved that our forward-thinking policy of collaboration with other experts adds greatly to the value of our work. 

Water-less commissioning

SPA is developing new ways to save every drop of water it can.  

It is vital work, necessary to safeguard the future of this part of the UK.  

But each centimetre of pipe needs to be made clean enough to safely carry drinking water before it can be used.  

Traditionally, that means flushing vast amounts through the pipes, along with chlorine – but that is water this region cannot spare.  

So our team has risen to the challenge and developed an innovative technique using just a fraction of the water and chlorine previously needed. 

The method, known as ‘air swabbing’, means it is possible to clean a kilometre of pipe to food hygiene standards using the amount of water it would take to fill eight baths, instead of the equivalent to 800 baths, which was the figure previously. 

This massive saving will be multiplied across the hundreds of kilometres of new pipe we will be creating. 

If SPA sounds appealing to you

If working for the Strategic Pipeline Alliance sounds appealing to you then why not apply! Check out our job listings below to see what roles we currently have available.

SPA search and apply