Multi-million clean-up plan for the Thames
October 3, 2004
The River Thames is to get a multi-million-pound clean- up after ministers were embarrassed by a series of pollution incidents that killed wildlife and threatened the health of river users.
The capital’s antiquated sewerage system becomes overwhelmed every time there is heavy rain and releases millions of gallons of sewage and untreated water into the river. There have been about 60 such incidents in the past 12 months.
Tomorrow Elliot Morley, the environment minister, is expected to allow water companies to raise hundreds of millions of pounds from their customers to build new sewerage pipes and plants that would help to reduce the overflows and other infrastructure problems.
The announcement is expected in the minister’s response to proposals by Ofwat, the water regulator, to put average household water bills up by £33 between 2005 and 2010 across England and Wales. The money would be used by companies for capital investment and environmental improvements as well as raising profits.
This weekend, however, there was uncertainty about how much Thames Water would be allowed to spend.
It wanted to put average bills up by £83 a household but Ofwat, which has a remit to keep prices as low as possible, has said £34 is the maximum.This would enable Thames to raise £2.7 billion for investment but the amount would have to be spread across a range of projects.
The Environment Agency fears this will not be enough, pointing out that cleaning all the storm drains emptying into the Thames will alone probably cost billions of pounds. It wants Ofwat to set more cash aside when it makes its final decision on price rises in December.
In his response Morley will also recognise the threat posed by endocrine disruptors, chemicals released by sewerage works which have been blamed for the recently discovered "gender-bending" effects in fish and shellfish.
He is expected to approve a multi-million-pound research programme, to be overseen by the Environment Agency, to assess the impact of the chemicals and work out how to remove them.
Meanwhile, a separate report from the agency this week will warn that some of England’s most beautiful rivers and streams remain widely polluted with farming, industrial businesses and the water companies that drain them for supplies said to be the most culpable.
This article first appeared in The Times newspaper.
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