The Abberton Reservoir expansion project involved the enlargement of the existing reservoir located South of Colchester, Essex. The project was the country's biggest civil engineering redevelopment of it's kind, outside of the Olympic Park.

The level of Anderton Reservoir needed to be raised by more than 3 metres, the programme of work included and expansion of the Ely-Ouse transfer scheme. A scheme that took water from the River Ouse in Norfolk, via the River Stour and two new pipeline sections to Abberton. The reservoir enjoys triple status as a 'Special Protection Area', a 'Site of Special Scientific Interest' and a 'Protected Ramsar Wetland Site'.

The project was divided into two parts, the first was a new pipeline installed parallel to the river, a new abstraction point and pumping station were created alongside three new dam structures. The second phase saw the movement of 1 million cubic metres of soil and 250,000 cubic meters of granular material around the site.