Britain’s water industry is turning to Spain for expertise as it prepares to develop the UK’s first major seawater desalination plants designed for continuous operation. The visit, organised by the Water Research Centre, included tours of desalination plants in Alicante and Torrevieja. The Torrevieja facility can produce up to 240 million litres per day, supplying water for as many as 1.6 million people in the Vega Baja. Two desalination plants are therefore being developed in Norfolk and Lincolnshire under the company’s long-term water-resources plan. Anglian Water is currently the only British supplier including new desalination facilities within its AMP8 investment programme.