Port of London Authority calls for River Thames sewage clean-up ten years ahead of Defra plan

The Port of London Authority (PLA), chaired by former Ofwat chair Jonson Cox, has secured agreement from water companies to fast-track the clean up of sewage in the tidal Thames.

Anglian Water which operates 34 storm overflows on the Thames in Essex, and Southern Water which operates 16 overflows on the river in Kent, have agreed to clean up sewage spills ten years ahead of Defra’s 2050 target. Thames Water has agreed to look at options to bring forward its discharge targets for the tidal section of the river through London and to announce its plan at a stakeholder event at the end of 2024.

The commitments are part of the Authority’s Clean Thames Manifesto, launched in Parliament last week. Other actions the PLA said it will take include:

• working with Thames Water and the Environment Agency to develop a plan to tackle wet wipes at problem sites, starting with a feasibility study in September 2023;

• updating river regulations to require boat operators to stop discharges of sewage from their vessels from 2024;

• working with agriculture, transport and other polluters to reduce harmful run-off from land and roads;

• updating the Thames Litter Strategy and expanding the PLA’s Thames Litter Forum, including to develop campaigns to reduce micro plastics at source and litter;

• supporting the removal of the automatic right of property developers to connect to the sewerage network, and encouraging the government to make water companies statutory consultees on planning applications; and

• commissioning a study on forever chemicals and non-soluble pharmaceuticals in the Thames.

In significant addition, the Thames Tideway Tunnel is due to be operational in 2025. The PLA said Thames Water had estimated the project will reduce discharges of sewage to the river in London after rainfall by 95%.

The Cox connection drew some scorn on Twitter. Feargal Sharkey tweeted of the former Ofwat chair: “And what did he do about sewage during the ten years he was in charge of the water industry? NOTHING!”