Jump to content

Thames Water

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thames Water
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryWater industry
PredecessorThames Water Authority
Founded1989
HeadquartersReading, Berkshire, England
Area served
United Kingdom, but principally South England
Key people
Adrian Montague (Chairman)
Chris Weston (CEO)
Products
Production output
  • 2.5 Gl/day (drinking)
  • 4.6 Gl/day (recycled)
Services
Revenue
  • Increase£2.177 billion (2021–22)
  • Decrease£2.107 billion (2020–21)
  • £2.173 billion (2019–20)
  • Decrease£406 million (2021–22)
  • Decrease£465 million (2020–21)
  • £557 million (2019–20)
  • Decrease£-1649 million (2021–22)
  • Decrease£-772 million (2020–21)
  • £116 million (2019–20)
OwnersOMERS (32%)
Universities Superannuation Scheme (20%)
Infinity Investments (10%)
6 other global investment funds (38%)
Number of employees
7,086 (2021-22)
ParentKemble Water Holdings Limited
Websitethameswater.co.uk

Thames Water Utilities Ltd, trading as Thames Water, is a British private utility company responsible for the water supply and waste water treatment in most of Greater London, Luton, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, north Wiltshire, far west Kent, and some other parts of England. Like other water companies, it has a monopoly in the regions it serves.

With origins dating back to the formation of the New River Company in 1609, Thames Water was established in 1989 during privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales. The name of the company reflects its role serving the drainage basin of the River Thames; water is sourced from the Thames as well as a number of other rivers and boreholes.

The UK's largest water and wastewater services company, Thames Water is responsible for an extensive water management infrastructure which includes the Thames Water Ring Main around London, one of Europe's largest wastewater treatment works and the UK's first large-scale desalination plant—both at Beckton in east London—and the £4.2 billion Thames Tideway sewer (set to enter service in 2025). Per day, the company supplies 2.5 billion litres (550 million imperial gallons) of drinking water and treats 4.6 billion litres (1,000 million imperial gallons) of wastewater. It serves a population of 15.5 million people—over a quarter of England's population—but its ageing infrastructure is prone to leakage and is a frequent cause of pollution, for which it has been repeatedly prosecuted and fined.

Current shareholders include four major pension funds and four overseas investment funds which between them hold over 90% of the company's shares. The company has been criticised for paying substantial dividends to shareholders while simultaneously taking out loans, accumulating £14 billion in debts. In June 2023, Thames Water was reported to be close to financial collapse. In April 2024, the UK Government was reported to be considering plans to renationalise the company.

History

[edit]

Origins

[edit]
See also: London water supply infrastructure and London sewer system

Thames Water can trace its history back to the construction of the New River, which was started in 1604 by Edmund Colthurst to carry fresh water from Hertfordshire into London. The business of the New River was taken over by the New River Company, officially founded by royal charter in 1619, under the leadership of Hugh Myddelton. Although earlier small-scale water supply operations existed, the New River Company was the first water supply company and is the earliest direct ancestor of Thames Water today.[1]

During the 1850s, John Snow and William Farr's identification of the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak provided a stimulus for the better treatment of sewage. The Thames Conservancy was established in 1857 with unified control over water supply, drainage and navigation. The Great Stink occurred in 1858, and focused government and public opinion on cleaning up the Thames. To resolve these issues, the Metropolitan Board of Works, under the leadership of Chief Engineer Joseph Bazalgette, constructed a large network of sewers by 1870, many of which are still in use today.[2]

In 1904 the New River Company and eight other water companies serving London were taken into public ownership under the control of the newly-founded Metropolitan Water Board. In 1973 the responsibility for water supply and sewage in the Thames catchment was transferred to the Thames Water Authority.[3]

Privatisation

[edit]

In 1989, the responsibility for navigation, regulatory, river and channels management was transferred from the Thames Water Authority to the National Rivers Authority, which later became part of the Environment Agency.[4] The remainder of the Thames Water Authority was privatised as Thames Water Utilities Limited.[5]

Takeovers

[edit]

Thames Water plc was acquired by the German utility company RWE in 2001.[6]

On 17 October 2006, following several years of criticism about failed leakage targets in the UK, RWE announced it would sell Thames Water for £8 billion to Kemble Water Holdings Ltd, a consortium led by the Australian Macquarie Group which appointed David Owens as CEO.[7] In December 2006, the sale of Thames Water's British operation went ahead, with RWE keeping the overseas operations.[8]

Under the new ownership, the company re-focused its efforts on improving its operational performance and in 2007 announced the largest-ever capital investment programme (£1 billion in one year) of any UK water company.[9]

However, during the 11 years of Macquarie's ownership ending in 2017, there were substantial dividend payouts to shareholders. In this period debts increased from £4.4 billion to £10.5 billion (both 2017 prices) as Macquarie borrowed against the company's assets to increase dividend payments. During these 11 years £2.8 billion was paid to shareholders; 40% of the total £7 billion in dividends paid by Thames Water in the 32 years from 1990 to 2022.[10]

Thames Water was a Tier Three sponsor of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[11]

Sale by Macquarie

[edit]

From 2017, under the government's Open Water programme, and in common with all water and sewerage companies, Thames Water was required to provide entirely separate retail and wholesale operations for its commercial customers, working through a central market operator.[12]

On 14 March 2017, Macquarie Group sold its remaining stake in Thames Water's holding company to Canadian pensions group OMERS and the Kuwait Investment Authority.[13]

On 22 March 2017 a record fine of £20.3m was imposed on Thames Water after large leaks of untreated sewage, totalling 1.4bn litres, occurred over a number of years.[14]

As of July 2023, the company listed its shareholders as: OMERS (32%), the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS - 20%), Infinity Investments (a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority) (10%), British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (9%), Hermes Investment Management (manager of the BT Pension Scheme) (9%), the China Investment Corporation (9%), Queensland Investment Corporation (5%), Aquila GP Inc. (5%), and Stichting Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (2%).[15] Shareholders have not taken a dividend since 2017, though the company has paid internal dividends from the operational business to holding companies to be able to service its debt obligations.[10]

2023–2024 financial crisis

[edit]

In its annual report for the year ending 31 March 2022, Thames Water had reported annual revenues of around £2bn, generating a profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of around £1bn (a margin of around 50%).[16]: 36  Facing high levels of asset depreciation - around £650m[16]: 103  - the company has to invest all profits back into the business to maintain the status quo. As of March 2022, Thames Water had, since 2007, accumulated debts of around £15 billion,[16]: 2 [17] mainly through the issue of various bonds, with annual interest obligations of the debt standing at around £500m,[16]: 42  around 50% of EBITDA. So, after capital investments, the business was not generating sufficient cash to fulfil its interest obligations, and found itself in a continuously worsening financial position. With current debt amounting to 80% of the value of the business, Thames Water had become the most heavily indebted of England and Wales' water companies.[18] This situation had been recognised by the regulator Ofwat in December 2022 - leading to increasingly urgent discussions concerning a possible collapse and potential state bail-out of Thames Water.[18]

After joining Thames Water as CEO in 2020,[19] Sarah Bentley resigned on 27 June 2023 amid concerns over spills from Thames sewage pipes.[20] On 28 June 2023, concerns were raised about the company's ability to service its debt of £14 billion,[21][22] and the company was then reported to be in urgent talks to secure extra funding to avoid the company collapsing.[23] In 2022, shareholders had provided an initial £500m to Thames Water and pledged a further £1bn, but the company was said to be struggling to service its substantial debt pile.[23] On 29 June 2023, with the UK government reportedly on standby for a potential taxpayer bailout through a temporary nationalisation,[24][25] with pension funds worried about their investments in the firm,[26] and with suppliers engaged on major projects concerned about payment,[27] Thames Water announced experienced City troubleshooter Sir Adrian Montague would lead rescue efforts, succeeding Ian Marchant as chairman on 10 July 2023.[28] On 2 July 2023, shareholder USS announced its support for the business's turnaround plans.[29] The head of Ofwat said Thames Water customers would not be liable for the costs of any bailout.[30] On 10 July 2023, Thames Water shareholders agreed to provide £750m in funding,[31] short of the £1bn sought; the company also said it would need a further £2.5bn from investors by 2030.[32]

In September 2023, Thames Water was one of several water companies ordered by Ofwat to pay back customers for poor performance. It was ordered to apply reductions totalling £101m to customers' future bills.[33] In October 2023, Thames Water, along with Southern Water, SES Water and South East Water, was named by Ofwat as one of the four worst performing water companies, all needing to dramatically improve their financial performance.[34]

In December 2023, Thames Water told MPs that it did not have enough money to pay off a £190m loan due in April 2024, despite a recent £500m cash injection financed by a loan to its parent company.[35]

Also in December 2023, the company appointed Chris Weston as its new chief executive, replacing Bentley who resigned in June 2023.[36][37] Weston took up the position on 8 January 2024 and was to be paid an annual salary of £850,000 and a performance-related bonus of up to 156 per cent, taking his total package to about £2.25 million.[36][38]

As of March 2024, investors announced they would withhold the first payment of a £4bn turnaround plan unless Ofwat agreed to an increase in customer bills, saying that without it the plan is "uninvestible". Thames Water stated that an increase in bills of 40% would be required over the next five years.[39] Responding to the request, Michael Gove, the UK's housing and communities secretary, stated that "Thames Water leadership has been a 'disgrace'" and customers should not be expected to pay higher bills.[40]

In April 2024, The Guardian reported Whitehall consideration of plans to renationalise Thames Water, with the state taking on most of its £15.6bn debt and lenders losing up to 40% of their money.[41] In May 2024, Thames' biggest shareholder OMERS issued a "full writedown" of its 31.7% stake in Kemble, signalling its view that the shares were now worthless;[42] another (unnamed) lender sought to offload loans worth up to £600m.[43][44] In June 2024, UK university pension fund USS (holding 20% of the company's shares) was pressed by university staff members to explain why it had invested in Thames Water; it was feared the fund might have to write-off £1 billion of its assets.[45]

In May 2024, Ofwat was reported to be preparing to reject Thames Water's request for consumer bill rises of 59% (after accounting for inflation), with the company's plans derided as a "microwave job" with "fag-packet figures", while Thames' board was said to be determined to "sit on a deckchair on the Titanic". Advised by investment bankers Lazard, Ofwat was trying to make Thames Water attractive to investors, while minimising pressure on consumer bills.[46] On 1 June 2024, Thames Water was set to be fined over £40m by Ofwat for payment of a shareholder dividend in late 2023.[47]

On 11 July 2024, Ofwat put Thames Water into special measures, with a "turnaround oversight regime" subject to "heightened regulatory" scrutiny. Ofwat said Thames Water would be allowed to increase bills by £99 to £535, which was £92 less than the company had proposed. Through to 2029, Thames Water is required to reduce sewage spills by 64%, cut leaks by 19% and reduce supply interruptions by two-thirds.[48]

Also in July 2024, the Financial Times reported Thames Water faced the possibility of over £10 billion of its debt being downgraded to junk status. This potential downgrade by rating agency S&P could trigger regulatory intervention from Ofwat, as Thames Water is required to maintain two investment-grade ratings to comply with its license.[49]

In August 2024, Thames Water warned its continued survival required it to increase water bills by 59% over a five-year period, rejecting the £19/year cap proposed by Ofwat.[50] The Guardian also reported that Thames Water board members and advisers lobbied Whitehall officials to oppose any temporary renationalisation saying it would adversely affect the appeal of UK businesses to international investors - a view rejected by others who saw Thames as an 'outlier'.[51]

In October 2024, Thames Water proposed a deal to raise a loan of up to £3bn that would enable it survive until October 2025, while increasing the company's debt to £17.9bn by March 2025.[52] In November 2024, Thames Water said three quarters of its creditors had supported the £3 billion funding deal.[53]

In November 2024, a Guardian investigation revealed Thames Water was in a worse financial state than previously admitted. The company had £23bn of assets in urgent need of repair, with supply to 16 million water customers "on a knife-edge", amid concerns over safety, essential IT systems (some dating from the 1980s, now obsolete and prone to cybercrime),[54] and intimidation of staff.[55][56]

Operations

[edit]
Water pumping station at
Walton-on-Thames

As of 2022, Thames Water extracts, treats and supplies 2.5 billion litres (550 million imperial gallons) of drinking water per day using 97 water treatment works, 308 clean water pumping stations and 31,100 km (19,300 mi) of managed water mains to 10.2 million customers (4 million properties) across London and the Thames Valley.[57] It maintains 22 raw water reservoirs and 241 underground service reservoirs. The company supplied 111.4 million litres (24.5 million imperial gallons) of treated water per day to other water suppliers in the region.[58] In 2007 it proposed a reservoir at Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which would have been the largest enclosed or bunded reservoir in the UK.[59]

Thames Water also removes, treats and disposes of 4.6 billion litres (1,000 million imperial gallons) of wastewater per day from 15.5 million customers (6 million properties) using 5,123 sewage pumping stations through 109,292 km (67,911 mi) of managed sewerage mains to 353 sewage treatment works across an area of 13,000 km2 (5,000 sq mi) of South England.[58][57] Its Beckton Sewage Treatment Works is one of Europe's largest wastewater treatment works.[60]

On 1 October 2011, it adopted 40,000 km (25,000 mi) - an additional 60% - of private sewers and lateral drains to add to its then stock of 68,000 km (42,000 mi) giving a new network of 108,000 km (67,000 mi). By 2015, this figure had grown to 109,400 km (68,000 mi) of managed sewerage mains. [61][62]

Chalk aquifer borehole under the North Downs at Albury

As of 2022, Thames Water generated 510 GWh per year, or 24% of its total heat and electricity requirements, using renewable energy from biogas, sewage sludge, wind, and solar. The company has a target of net zero by 2030.[58][63][64][65]

Health and safety

[edit]

In December 2014 Thames Water pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after the death at work of one of its workers. It was fined £300,000 with £61,000 prosecution costs. The incident occurred at its Coppermills Water Treatment Works in Walthamstow, London E17 in April 2010 when an excavator reversed over and killed the worker in a slow sand filter. The prosecution followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.[66]

Leakage

[edit]

2001–06 (RWE's ownership)

[edit]

Thames Water was repeatedly criticised for the amount of water that leaked from its pipes by the industry regulator Ofwat and was fined for this. In May 2006 the leakage was nearly 900 million litres (200 million imperial gallons) per day and in June that year Thames Water missed its target for leakage reduction for the third year in a row.[67] The Consumer Council for Water, a customers' group, accused Thames Water of continuing to miss its targets for the preceding five years. In July 2006, instead of a fine which would have gone "to the exchequer", the company was required to spend an extra £150 million on repairs.[68]

Since 2007 (Kemble's ownership)

[edit]

Thames Water hit its Ofwat-agreed annual leakage-reduction target for each of the ten years running from 2006 to 2016.[61]

In 2006–07, the company stated that it had reduced its daily loss through leaks by 120 million litres (26 million imperial gallons) to an average of 695 million litres (153 million imperial gallons) per day.[69] For 2009–10 the Ofwat-reported daily leakage was 668.9 million litres (147.1 million imperial gallons).[70] In its price control determination for the period 2010 to 2015, Ofwat did not allow the funds needed to finance a significant further reduction in leakage and used the assumption that daily leakage would be 674 million litres (148 million imperial gallons) in 2010–11 and 673 million litres (148 million imperial gallons) from 2011 to 2012.[71] In 2011–12, actual daily leakage was 637×10^6 L (140×10^6 imp gal); in 2012–13, 646×10^6 L (142×10^6 imp gal); in 2013–14, 644×10^6 L (142×10^6 imp gal); in 2014–2015, 654×10^6 L (144×10^6 imp gal); in 2015–2016, 642×10^6 L (141×10^6 imp gal).[61]

The company achieved these reductions by:

  • better pressure management of known problem sectors of its older water network
  • replacing 2,736 km (1,700 mi) of worn-out Victorian pipes, mainly under London

These successes in meeting leakage targets mitigated the earlier failures to meet targets. As a result, and in spite of a larger distribution network, Thames Water was leaking slightly less water than at privatisation in 1989, having reduced leakage from its 31,100 km (19,300 mi) network of water pipes by more than a third since its 2004 peak.[72] As of 2013 and with an older network profile, Thames Water leaked 25.8%[73] of supply, slightly less than Severn Trent at 27%.[74] As of 2015 Thames Water leaked 25.1% of supply.[75]

In June 2018 regulators made Thames Water pay £65 million to customers, among other reasons because they failed to repair leaks.[76]

In June 2023, Freedom of Information requests revealed that Thames Water leak levels were at their highest for five years. It was estimated to be losing 630 million litres (140 million imperial gallons) a day.[77]

Pollution

[edit]
Further information: Sewage discharge in the United Kingdom

In the period 2005–13 Thames Water was the most heavily fined water company in the UK for pollution incidents, paying £842,500 for 87 events. In 2016, it paid the largest fine for a single pollution incident of £1 million.[78] In March 2017, Thames Water was fined a record £20.3 million after it pumped nearly 1.5 billion litres of untreated sewage into the River Thames.[14] The company also admitted other water pollution and offences in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.[79] In awarding the fine, Judge Francis Sheridan noted the company's "continual failure to report incidents" and "history of non-compliance", saying: "This is a shocking and disgraceful state of affairs. It should not be cheaper to offend than to take appropriate precautions. I have to make the fine sufficiently large that [Thames Water] get the message", adding that, "One has to get the message across to the shareholders that the environment is to be treasured and protected, and not poisoned.".[14] What was "shocking and disgraceful" was not just the scale of the pollution, but that it was intentional. Sheridan added "the constant use of flow clipping to protect the treatment process, so that, despite the regular and prolonged discharge of untreated sewage to the River Thames via the storm outfalls, all samples taken at the final effluent outfall complied with the permit. This was deliberately done and gave a false impression of the sewage treatment works' performance and undermined the operator's self-monitoring process."[80]

Conversely, in 2014, Thames Water admitted that it had accidentally over-reported the number of properties at high risk of sewage flooding between 2005 and 2010. It agreed to a compensation package for customers of £86 million.[81]

In 2022, a report published by the parliamentary Environmental Audit Select Committee on water quality in the UK's rivers showed that Thames Water's Mogden wastewater treatment works in Isleworth discharged a quantity of sewage which would fill 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools on 3 and 4 October 2020.[82]

In July 2024, Thames Water reported 350 incidents of sewage pollution in 2023, up from 331 in 2022. It said the rise was due to delayed investments to increase capacity across its 400 sewage treatment works.[83] Thames Water had failed to complete a £1.1 billion programme involving around 108 scheduled upgrades promised in 2018 to enable sewage treatment works to meet legal pollution limits. An anti-sewage pollution campaign group accused Thames of a "deliberate act to keep it financially afloat" and called for an investigation by regulators.[84] Thames Water blamed its failure to deliver the schemes on macroeconomic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and rises in inflation, plus supply chain problems and competing pressures to create more storm tank capacity.[84] In August 2024, Thames Water was fined £104m by Ofwat for failing to manage its wastewater treatment works and networks.[85]

Other incidents

[edit]
Thames Water at work in Muswell Hill, London

In September 2007, 5 km (3.1 mi) of the River Wandle, Greater London was polluted. In January 2009, Thames Water pleaded guilty at Sutton Magistrates Court, and was subsequently fined £125,000 at Croydon Crown Court and ordered to pay £21,335 in clean-up and investigation costs.[86] In February 2010, on appeal, the fine was found to be "manifestly excessive" and was reduced to £50,000.[87]

Between 5 and 8 June 2011, more than 230,000 cubic metres (8.1 million cubic feet), or 230,000 tonnes, of sewage were released from Mogden Sewage Treatment works, killing 26,000 fish.[88]

Between 14 and 16 August 2011, Thames Water polluted the Faringdon Stream, in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,488 [89]

On 29 October 2011, Thames Water released thousands of tonnes of raw sewage into the River Crane in Greater London, killing thousands of fish, when a six-tonne valve jammed during routine maintenance. Despite tankering and alternative routing, the volume of sewage from Heathrow overwhelmed the operations. Thames Anglers Conservancy's Robin Vernon said: "It will take a decade to repair all the damage done by the sewage spill. Everything in there is just dead now."[90] In 2013, fungus and slime in the River Crane was attributed to runoff of de-icer from Heathrow getting into the river [91] In 2014, Thames Water blamed recent pollution on fat poured down drains by local customers.[92]

On 9 December 2011, Thames Water was fined £60,000 after releasing sewage sludge into the Foudry Brook killing up to 20,000 fish in a three-mile stretch from Silchester, Hampshire.[93]

In September 2012, clogged-up pumps caused sewage to be released into the Chase Brook, near Newbury. A £250,000 fine imposed in August 2014 was adjudged "lenient" on appeal in 2015. The pumps were replaced by improved pumps.[94]

In January 2016, Thames Water was fined a record £1m for polluting the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire between July 2012 and April 2013. In addition, it was required to pay costs of £18,000 and a victim surcharge of £120. In its defence, Thames Water said it had spent £30,000 replacing equipment at Tring.[78]

On Christmas Day 2016, the Thames Water Hampton pump failed and as a consequence, thousands of Londoners in the TW and W postcode areas were left without water.[95]

In December 2018, Thames Water was fined £2m for polluting two brooks near Milton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire. On 8 and 9 August 2015, raw sewage was discharged into the water, killing 150 fish. It was also forced to pay legal costs of £79,991.57.[96]

In July 2019, Thames Water was fined £607,000 for polluting the Maidenhead Ditch and the River Cut in Berkshire. In June 2014, raw sewage and treated sewage was discharged into the Maidenhead Ditch. Thames Water has a licence to discharge sewage into the watercourse in storm conditions. However, in June 2014 there were no extreme weather events which would allow the company to discharge untreated sewage. The company also did not meet the conditions which would allow it to discharge treated sewage. Another incident of sewage discharge occurred on 7 August 2014. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £100,000.[97]

In February 2021, Thames Water was fined £2.3m for a pollution incident in 2016 that caused the death of 1,200 fish. Untreated sewage with a high ammonia content was discharged into the Fawley Court ditch and stream that flows into the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames. The incident occurred between 21 and 24 April 2016. The incident was caused by a lack of adequate monitoring in place at the Henley treatment works, as well as faulty equipment. Judge Francis Sheridan stated that the pollution and the preceding events showed 'high negligence' on the part of the company. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £87,944[98][99]

In May 2021, Thames Water was fined £4m for a number of pollution incidents which took place between 2016 and 2019 in the Kingston upon Thames area. One of these incidents involved the company allowing approximately 79 million litres of untreated sewage to escape from a manhole cover into Green Lane Recreation Ground, New Malden, a nearby woodland, and the Hogsmill River. Equipment at Thames Water's Hogsmill Treatment Works was unable to withstand the effects of Storm Imogen, and the pumps failed. It took fifteen hours for Thames Water to report the incident to the Environment Agency, as it is legally obliged to do. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £84,669.[100]

In July 2023, Thames Water was fined £3.3m after discharging undiluted sewage into two rivers, the Gatwick Stream in Sussex and the River Mole in Surrey, killing more than 1,400 fish in October 2017.[101]

In 2022, according to a BBC investigation, Thames Water illegally discharged sewage hundreds of times on days when it was not raining. While releasing sewage into rivers and seas is permitted in the UK to prevent pipe systems becoming overwhelmed during heavy or prolonged rainfall, discharging sewage on days without rain is known as "dry spilling", illegal under UK environmental law. Without rainwater, discharged sewage is likely to be less diluted, building up toxins and resulting in toxic algae growths that can be fatal to animals and pose a health risk to swimmers. Dry spilling occurred throughout the summer period when the Thames Water region was declared to be in drought, including on 19 July 2022, the hottest day on record when many people and their pets tried to cool off in rivers. A total of 110 dry spills lasting 1,253 hours were recorded, but the actual number of spills might be higher as only 62% of Thames Water overflow points are monitored, compared to 91% for Wessex and 98% for Southern Water.[102][103]

Local planning

[edit]

In 2011, the company found itself involved in a controversial redevelopment plan for the Bath Road Reservoir in its home town of Reading. An appeal against Reading Borough Council's rejection of the plan was dismissed by the planning inspector in January 2011.[104] Full planning permission was subsequently granted on 10 December 2012.[105]

Thames Water delays in investing to increase capacity at Oxford's main sewage treatment works were blamed for delaying housing and commercial planning applications in and around Oxford. In September 2024, Thames announced plans to boost the works capacity, trebling its storm tank capacity, increasing treatment flows by 80% and improving power supplies.[106]

Flooding

[edit]

The exceptional rain and weather conditions of 2013–14 caused swollen rivers and several low-lying areas to be submerged under flood water. In February 2014, the River Ash caused flooding in homes in Staines-upon-Thames. This flooding was exacerbated by a two-day delay by Surrey County Council's 'Gold Control' flood control group in ordering Thames Water to close a sluice gate on a Thames Water aqueduct. Thames Water considered it had been following an existing protocol agreed with Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency.[107]

Sheep

[edit]

Thames Water maintains commercial flocks of sheep on the borders of several of its reservoirs, which are used as the cheapest way to stop large plants growing and damaging the banks.[108]

Thames Tideway scheme

[edit]
Main article: Thames Tideway Scheme

Over centuries of London's growth from medieval times to the Victorian age, the natural tributary system of the Thames Tideway was converted first into public open sewers and then closed over into covered sewers which emptied directly into the River Thames.[109] Joseph Bazalgette's remediation of the ensuing 1850s Great Stink renewed much of London's sewerage mains infrastructure during the period 1859 to 1865. However, the new design was not intended to cope with the doubling of London's population over the following 150 years. The concreting of huge amounts of London's green spaces causes substantial rainwater run-off into the drainage and sewerage systems which had been expected to soak into the ground. As a result, even small amounts of rainfall in certain circumstances can cause London's outdated Victorian sewerage system to fail over, and release untreated sewage mixed with rainwater directly into the River Thames.[110]

Each year, on average, there are 50–60 such incidents and a total of 39 million cubic metres (1.4 billion cubic feet), or 39 million tonnes, is released.[111] In 2013–14, exceptional weather conditions and flooding caused a total release of 55 million cubic metres (1.9 billion cubic feet), or 55 million tonnes.[112] The released effluent follows the ebb and flow of the tidal Thames, and can take up to 3 days to exit the Tideway into the Estuary. For this reason, Thames Water advises against swimming in the Thames Tideway[113] and, by extension, walking in the tidal strand area. Despite this pollution, large marine mammals are increasingly found in the Thames Tideway and Estuary, indicating some level of year-on-year improvement [114][115][116]

To mitigate and resolve the above problems, the Thames Tideway Scheme proposed a three-stage series of improvements. The first two stages of the improvements were upgrades to 5 sewage treatment works and construction of the 6.9 km (4.3 mi) Lee Tunnel, formally opened on 28 January 2016.[117] Together, these are expected to result in an annual discharge reduction of 40%. This is equivalent to a reduction of 16 million cubic metres (570 million cubic feet) or 16 million tonnes per year, down to about 23 million cubic metres (810 million cubic feet) or 23 million tonnes of effluent per year.[118] The third stage is the 25 km (16 mi) Thames Tideway Tunnel, which was proposed by the Thames Tideway Strategic Study, including Thames Water, as an effective solution to deal with most of the remaining problem. On 12 September 2014, planning consent was formally approved by the UK Government.[119][120][121] On 24 August 2015, the building contracts were awarded for the western section (Ealing to Hammersmith: £416 million, to BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty), the central section (Hammersmith to Tower Bridge: £746 million, to Ferrovial and Laing O'Rourke) and the eastern section (Tower Bridge to Stratford and Greenwich: £605 million, to Costain, Vinci and Bachy Soletanche).[122] On 3 November 2015, Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd received its operating licence from OFWAT, ensuring the start of the project.[121]

The necessity for action has added urgency because of imminent water quality fines of up to £1bn by the European Commission on the UK Government.[123][124]

Trinzic

[edit]

Formerly Thames Water Ventures,[125] Trinzic was a project development company set up within the Kemble Group to explore the potential of floating solar farms on Thames Water reservoirs, and the potential of powering district heat networks with heat sources from the sewage treatment process.[126][127]

Trinzic launched a campaign calling on the UK government to back 30GW of floating solar installation by 2030, through a mix of policy reform and grant incentives, in November 2023.[128]

In May 2024, Trinzic won a Gold Award at the annual Transform Awards in the Best Naming Strategy (rename) category.[129][130]

Trinzic entered into voluntary administration in July 2024, after Kemble announced it was "urgently" attempting to recover funds from Trinzic with its financial consultants Alvarez & Marsal.[131][132]

List of fines and regulatory violations

[edit]

From 2010 to 2024, Thames Water has been fined 98 times,[133] and £179 million, and in August 2024 a further £104 million fine for sewage was proposed by Ofwat.

  • July 2006, Thames Water was required to spend an extra £150 million on repairs for water leaks.[134]
  • December 2014 Thames Water pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after the death at work of one of its workers. It was fined £300,000 with £61,000 prosecution costs.[135]
  • 2016, fine for a single pollution incident of £1 million.[78]
  • 22 March 2017 a record fine of £20.3m was imposed on Thames Water after large leaks of untreated sewage, totalling 1.4bn litres, occurred over a number of years.[14]
  • 1 June 2024, Thames Water was set to be fined over £40m by Ofwat for payment of a shareholder dividend in late 2023.[136]
  • August 2024, Thames Water was fined £104m by Ofwat for failing to manage its wastewater treatment works and networks.[137]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Rudden, Bernard (1985). The New River: a legal history. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-825497-0. OCLC 11211182.
  2. ^ Halliday, Stephen (2013). The Great Stink of London: Sir Joseph Bazalgette and the Cleansing of the Victorian Metropolis. The History Press. ISBN 978-0752493787.
  3. ^ "The Thames Water Authority Constitution Order 1973: Schedule 3", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/1360 (sch. 3)
  4. ^ Larry Elliott and Jill Treanor (22 November 2000). "A whole world sold on sell-offs". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  5. ^ "The Development of the Water Industry in England and Wales" (PDF). Ofwat. p. 3. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  6. ^ Hope, Christopher (19 February 2002). "Germany's RWE in frame for Thames Water owner Takeover bid for power giant sparks surge in share price". The Herald, Scotland. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Thames Water to be sold for £8bn". BBC News. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  8. ^ Edmund Conway and Ben Harrington (17 October 2006). "Macquarie buys Thames Water in £8bn deal". London: The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Thames Water in £1bn leaks plan". BBC News. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  10. ^ a b Laville, Sarah; Leach, Anna; Garcier, Carmen Aguila (30 June 2023). "In charts: how privatisation drained Thames Water's coffers". Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  11. ^ Mackay, Duncan (31 May 2011). "London 2012 sign up Thames Water as sponsor". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  12. ^ "Open Water - About Us". Open Water programme. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  13. ^ Ambrose, Jillian (14 March 2017). "Macquarie sells off final stake in Thames Water". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  14. ^ a b c d Carrington, Damian (22 March 2017). "Thames Water hit with record £20m fine for huge sewage leaks". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Thames Water - Our Ownership Structure". Thames Water website. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d "Annual Report for year ending 31 Mar 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  17. ^ Short, Tim (29 June 2023). "Seven common misconceptions about the Thames Water crisis". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  18. ^ a b Jordan, Dearbail; King, Ben (29 June 2023). "Why is Thames Water in so much trouble?". BBC News. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Thames Water unveils new CEO | Newsroom". Thames Water. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Thames Water boss quits after sewage spills". BBC News. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Contingency plans being drawn up for Thames Water collapse". The Guardian. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  22. ^ Alabi, Leke Oso; Plimmer, Gill; Kelly, Maxine (28 June 2023). "Thames Water chief in sudden departure amid struggle with £14bn debt pile". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  23. ^ a b Race, Michael (29 June 2023). "Thames Water in urgent funding talks amid fears of collapse". BBC News. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  24. ^ Plimmer, Gill; Pickard, Jim; O'Dwyer, Michael (29 June 2023). "UK government looks at nationalising Thames Water as crisis deepens". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Debt-ridden Thames Water could face nationalisation by government as it faces collapse". ITV News. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  26. ^ Gill, Oliver (29 June 2023). "University pension scheme braced for wipeout of biggest investment if Thames Water collapses". Telegraph. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  27. ^ "Super sewer contractors safe from Thames Water crisis". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  28. ^ Pickard, Jim; Massoudi, Arash; Plimmer, Gill (29 June 2023). "Thames Water appoints Adrian Montague as chair". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  29. ^ Race, Michael (2 July 2023). "Big Thames Water investor backs turnaround plans". BBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  30. ^ Dempsey, Jemma (5 July 2023). "Thames Water customers will not pay more if firm collapses". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  31. ^ "Thames Water secures £750m cash injection". BBC News. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  32. ^ Plimmer, Gill (10 July 2023). "Thames Water falls short on £1bn goal with £750mn injection". Financial Times. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  33. ^ "Water firms forced to pay back customers for poor performance". BBC News. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  34. ^ Wise, Anna (26 October 2023). "Ofwat names four worst performing water firms as £1.4bn paid out to shareholders". Independent. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  35. ^ Jack, Simon (13 December 2023). "Thames Water says it can't pay back £190m loan". BBC News. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  36. ^ a b Freeman, Simon (14 December 2023). "Thames Water's new boss Chris Weston pledges to 'deliver turnaround'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  37. ^ Makortoff, Kalyeena (14 December 2023). "Thames Water appoints Chris Weston as boss with up to £2.3m package". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  38. ^ "Thames Water appoints new chief executive". www.ft.com. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Thames Water boss says bills need to rise by 40%". BBC News. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  40. ^ "Michael Gove: Thames Water leadership has been a 'disgrace'". The Guardian. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  41. ^ Isaac, Anna (18 April 2024). "Thames Water nationalisation plan could move bulk of £15bn debt to state". Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  42. ^ Ambrose, Jillian (17 May 2024). "Thames Water's biggest investor cuts value of its stake to zero". Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  43. ^ Farrington, William (24 May 2024). "Thames Water lender seeking to offload £500mln of loans". Proactive. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  44. ^ Marlow, Ben (24 May 2024). "Thames Water lender races to offload £600m of loans amid election uncertainty". Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  45. ^ Cumbo, Josephine; Plimmer, Gill (2 June 2024). "Major UK pension scheme under pressure over Thames Water stake". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  46. ^ Isaac, Anna (28 May 2024). "Ofwat poised to refuse most suppliers' requests for big price rises". Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  47. ^ Kleinman, Mark (1 June 2024). "Ofwat hits ailing Thames Water with £40m fine over dividend payment". Sky News. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  48. ^ Lawson, Alex (11 July 2024). "Thames Water placed in special measures due to 'significant issues'". Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  49. ^ Healy, Euan; Plimmer, Gill (18 July 2024). "Investors brace for £10bn of Thames Water debt falling to junk". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  50. ^ Edwards, Charlotte; Labiak, Mitchell (28 August 2024). "Thames Water says it needs 59% bill rise to survive". BBC News. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  51. ^ Isaac, Anna (30 August 2024). "Thames Water lobbied Whitehall to press Ofwat on allowing higher bills". Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  52. ^ Jack, Simon; Jordan, Dearbail (25 October 2024). "Thames Water secures £3bn loan to survive into 2025". BBC News. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  53. ^ Reporters, Telegraph (13 November 2024). "Thames Water wins backing from lenders for £3bn debt lifeline". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  54. ^ Isaac, Anna (18 November 2024). "Thames Water's IT 'falling apart' and is hit by cyber-attacks, sources claim". Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  55. ^ Isaac, Anna (17 November 2024). "Thames Water supply 'on knife-edge' with £23bn repairs needed". Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  56. ^ Isaac, Anna (17 November 2024). "Floods, explosions and asbestos: Thames Water faces potential problems on all fronts". Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  57. ^ a b "GIS Foundation at Thames Water". Barnsnape Consulting. 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  58. ^ a b c "Annual Performance Report 2021/22" (PDF). Thames Water.
  59. ^ "Need for reservoir 'not proven'". BBC News. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  60. ^ "Bye-bye big stink" (PDF). Beckton in Focus, The Newham Mag, London Borough of Newham. April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  61. ^ a b c "Annual Performance Report 2015–2016" (PDF). Thames Water. June 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  62. ^ "Thames Water Utilities Limited: Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Period ended 31 March 2012" (PDF). Thames Water. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  63. ^ "On board London's giant floating solar farm". BBC News. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  64. ^ "Thames Water and 2OC in £200m deal to turn 'fatbergs' into energy". waterbriefing.org. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  65. ^ "Thames Water to generate 20 per cent of energy needs with sewage scheme". utilityweek.co.uk. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  66. ^ "Utility company sentenced for worker death". Health and Safety Executive Media Centre. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  67. ^ "Thames Water misses leak target". BBC News. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  68. ^ "Thames Water escapes leakage fine". BBC News. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  69. ^ "Thames Water hails leak progress". BBC News. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  70. ^ "Service and delivery – performance of the water companies in England and Wales 2009–10 - Supporting information" (PDF). Ofwat. 27 October 2010. p. 46. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  71. ^ "Future water and sewerage charges 2010–15: Final determinations" (PDF). Ofwat. 26 November 2010. pp. 50–52. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  72. ^ "Thames Water leakage - explanatory graphs" (PDF). Ofwat. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  73. ^ 2012/13 figures: 646×10^6 L (142×10^6 imp gal) daily leakage; 2.5×10^9 L (550×10^6 imp gal) daily supply
  74. ^ Pearce, Fred (8 May 2012). "The water industry is burying a leaking pipes scandal". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  75. ^ 2014–2015 figures: 654×10^6 L (144×10^6 imp gal) daily leakage; 2.6×10^6 L (0.57×10^6 imp gal) daily supply
  76. ^ Thames Water to pay back £65m to customers as part of penalty package The Guardian
  77. ^ Laville, Sandra; Carrington, Damian (22 June 2023). "Thames Water pipe leaks at highest level in five years, FoI reveals". Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  78. ^ a b c "Record £1m fine for Thames Water after sewage leaked was into canal". Evening Standard newspaper. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  79. ^ "Thames Water fined £20m for sewage spill". BBC News. 22 March 2017.
  80. ^ Prescott, Matt (June 2017). "Water Industry Risks Briefing 2017" (PDF). Environmental Rating Agency. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  81. ^ "Thames Water to pay £86m package after mis-reporting data". BBC News. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  82. ^ "River Thames: More than 2bn litres of raw sewage discharged over two days". BBC News. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  83. ^ Laville, Sandra (9 July 2024). "Rise in sewage pollution from Thames Water's ageing treatment works". Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  84. ^ a b Laville, Sandra (10 July 2024). "Thames Water fails to complete 108 upgrades to ageing sewage works". Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  85. ^ Morby, Aaron (6 August 2024). "Three sewage dumping water companies to be fined £168m". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  86. ^ Britain's largest water company prosecuted for 5km river pollution Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Environment Agency, February 2009; retrieved on 5 February 2009.
  87. ^ "Thames Water fine for toxic spill in River Wandle cut". BBC News. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  88. ^ "Thousands of River Thames fish killed by storm sewage". BBC News. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  89. ^ "Thames Water ordered to pay £14K+ for stream pollution". waterbriefing.org. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  90. ^ Bishop, Rachel (1 November 2011). "River Crane 'destroyed' by sewage spill". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  91. ^ Cumber, Robert (21 March 2013). "Heathrow blamed for slime pollution in river". Hounslow Chronicle. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  92. ^ Cumber, Robert (8 July 2014). "Latest pollution to River Crane blamed on fat blockage". GetWestLondon. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  93. ^ "Thames Water forced to pay out £60,000 over sewage spill". Reading Post. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  94. ^ "Thames Water brook sewage £250,000 fine deemed 'lenient'". BBC News. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  95. ^ Weaver, Matthew (25 December 2016). "Thousands of homes without mains water in west London". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  96. ^ "Thames Water fined £2m for raw sewage pollution". BBC News. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  97. ^ "Thames Water fined for polluting Berkshire waterway". Gov.uk. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  98. ^ "Thames Water fined £2.3m for raw sewage pollution incident". The Guardian. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  99. ^ "Thames Water fined £2.3 million for 'foreseeable' pollution". UK Government - Gov.uk. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  100. ^ "Thames Water fined £4 million after catastrophic sewage blunder". UK Government - Gov.uk. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  101. ^ "Thames Water fined £3.3m over river sewage". BBC News. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  102. ^ "Water firms illegally spilled sewage on dry days - data suggests". BBC News. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  103. ^ "Where has a drought been declared, and what does it mean?". BBC News. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  104. ^ "Bath Road reservoir homes appeal rejected after inquiry". BBC News. 15 January 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  105. ^ "Consultation on Construction of Homes at Bath Road Reservoir Site". Reading Borough Council. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  106. ^ Morby, Aaron (2 September 2024). "Local pressure unblocks £240m Oxford sewage works upgrade". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  107. ^ "Staines residents seek flooding compensation". BBC News. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  108. ^ "The real-life reservoir dogs (press release)". PR Newswire. Thames Water. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  109. ^ Dangerfield, Andy (4 October 2015). "The lost rivers that lie beneath London". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  110. ^ "London's super sewer won't solve the city's epic poop problem". Wired. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  111. ^ "Thames Tunnel Consultation". Thames Tunnel partnership. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  112. ^ "Tideway Times, March 2014" (PDF). Thames Water. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  113. ^ "David Walliams given River Thames sewage warning". BBC News. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  114. ^ Morelle, Rebecca (20 August 2015). "Marine mammals thriving in Thames". BBC News. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  115. ^ Hardach, Sophie (12 November 2015). "How the River Thames was brought back from the dead". BBC News. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  116. ^ "Stranded River Thames whale 'evoked huge public response'". BBC News. 9 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  117. ^ "Mayor of London opens Lee Tunnel". Water and Wastewater Treatment. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  118. ^ Cross, Luke (13 November 2012). "Open Doors: Lee Tunnel lifts lid on 'exciting' world of construction". Construction News. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  119. ^ "London's 'super sewer' gets the go ahead". BBC News. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  120. ^ "Thames Tideway Tunnel". London Councils website. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  121. ^ a b "Green light for £4.2bn London 'super sewer'". Thames Tideway Forum. 3 November 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  122. ^ Farrell, Sean (24 August 2015). "London super sewer to cost less than expected, says Ofwat". theguardian.com. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  123. ^ "UK faces fine on EU water breach". BBC News. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  124. ^ Harvey, Fiona (26 January 2012). "Thames super-sewer a 'necessity' to prevent EU fines". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  125. ^ "New director to boost Thames Water's green ambitions". Thames Water. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  126. ^ Frank-Keyes, Jessica (13 September 2023). "Thames Water could soon be heating London homes… with sewage". City A.M. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  127. ^ Lawson, Alex (21 April 2024). "Thames Water-linked firm paid £14m in dividends despite concerns over group". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  128. ^ Eveleigh, Robin (3 November 2023). "Floating solar panels: the future of clean energy?". Positive News. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  129. ^ "2024 Transform Awards Europe". Transform magazine. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  130. ^ Burt, Fred (15 May 2024). "European best name and best brand relaunch". Olix Consulting. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  131. ^ Lawson, Alex (14 July 2024). "Thames Water owner to liquidate solar energy subsidiary amid debt crisis". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  132. ^ Whiterow, Philip (15 July 2024). "Thames Water to shut down solar power business - report". Proactive Investors. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  133. ^ "Violation Tracker: Thames Water Utilities Ltd". Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  134. ^ "Thames Water escapes leakage fine". BBC News. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  135. ^ "Utility company sentenced for worker death". Health and Safety Executive Media Centre. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  136. ^ Kleinman, Mark (1 June 2024). "Ofwat hits ailing Thames Water with £40m fine over dividend payment". Sky News. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  137. ^ Morby, Aaron (6 August 2024). "Three sewage dumping water companies to be fined £168m". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
[edit]

Media related to Thames Water at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thames_Water&oldid=1258196996"