It is the town council’s belief that the 1964 agreement was in perpetuity and therefore Affinity Water is obligated to continue adding water softener to the water in Saffron Walden. In a statement, the town council said: “Notwithstanding the agreement, the town council remains aggrieved that a company such as Affinity Water claims it cannot prioritise investment for water softening, whilst claiming that it remains committed to sustainability. “Whilst the process of water softening may incur some carbon impact, the impact of greater draw on electricity – caused by furred kettles and other appliances – and the need to replace such equipment more frequently presumably has a greater impact on the environment.”