Concerns have emerged over high amounts of nitrate found in some water supplies to Anglian Water's (AW) treatment plants.

The substance can cause a potentially-fatal condition called blue baby syndrome in the very young, which happens when it interferes with the absorption of oxygen into the blood.

Drinking water standards say levels of nitrate must be less than 50mg/l once at customers' taps.

Levels exceeding that have been found in some water supplies to Anglian Water's works at Congham, Houghton St Giles, Lyng Forge, Marham, North Pickenham, Ringstead and Ryston.

Water firms are allowed to blend water to dilute the nitrate, to bring it down to safe levels.

But now industry regulator Ofwat has agreed AW can spend £49.5m on seven new schemes after legal notices were served by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) ordering the work, which oblige the water regulator Ofwat to pay for it.

Inside an Anglian Water treatment works (Image: Denise Bradley) AW said the notices were not "a punitive........

© Eastern Daily Press