21 Nov 2024
An investigation by The Guardian has found that the supply of water by Thames Water is ‘on knife-edge’ with £23bn repairs needed. It also says the company has failed to tackle serious safety concerns or upgrade vital IT systems. Photo credit: Johannes Plenio Britain’s biggest water company has failed to tackle adequately serious […]
30 Oct 2024
Thames Water has secured a £3 billion loan, ensuring the company can continue to operate into 2025. The fresh funds are meant to act as “liquidity bridge” to “stabilise the business” and give it time to secure long-term investment, its chief executive, Chris Weston, said on Friday. It will further balloon its operating company’s debt […]
16 Oct 2024
London’s super sewer, designed to protect the River Thames from sewage pollution well into the future, has now been turned on. In May 2024, the new 25km super sewer was connected to the 6.9km Lee Tunnel – completing the full ‘London Tideway Tunnel’ network, which has a combined capacity of 1.6m m3 to protect the River […]
16 Oct 2024
Reported in The Guardian A freshwater lake that attracts more than 30,000 swimmers a year is under threat of closure from an Environment Agency (EA) plan to reduce flooding that will channel in polluted river water, according to campaigners. Almost 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on the EA and Surrey county council to reroute the flood […]
10 Jul 2024
According to The Guardian, the prime minister and chancellor have been briefed by Whitehall officials that the poor state of Thames Water presents a “critical risk” to the country. Fears about the company go beyond its precarious financial position and include the management of sites that provide drinking water and sewage treatment for millions of […]
10 Jul 2024
Thames Water’s annual results have raised some eyebrows this week, as they suggest the company only has sufficient funding to operate until May 2025. The results have raised fears over its potential collapse, unless investors provide additional funds. In light of concerns about Thames, Ofwat has published an Information note on Thames Water’s draft determination. […]
03 Jul 2024
Last week, The Guardian reported that “hours before its shareholders U-turned on plans to pump emergency funding” the Thames Water board had approved the payment of a £150 million dividend to intermediate parent company Kemble Water Eurobond. On Tuesday this week, the matter was discussed on the Today programme, with Ofwat denying it had agreed […]
26 Jun 2024
Lots more coverage of water quality and sewage overflows again this week. Just some of the coverage…. Labour and Lib Dems step up campaigns on sewage dumping (BBC) Revealed: the ‘catastrophic scale’ of sewage spills in England and Wales (Guardian) ‘Poo in the Water’: How Financial Engineering Sullied Britain’s Most Famous River (Wall Street Journal) […]
