Water companies explore a wide range of options, and variants of those options, through the Water Resources Management Planning process. Many of these are not taken forward due to technical, practical, or cost considerations. Any new water recycling schemes for water supply must be included by water companies in their preferred Water Resources Management Plans and developed by the company. Schemes taken forward must secure environmental permits from the Environment Agency, including water quality permits that include conditions to manage impacts from any discharge to the environment.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate carried out a research project published last year outlining that ‘reverse osmosis (RO) and nano filtration (NF) provide a near absolute barrier for passage of PFAS compounds when operated correctly’.

The Environment Agency is progressing the River Thames Scheme following the reset, with an updated Outline Business Case which will be submitted in summer 2026. The programme timeline for the Development Consent Order and Construction phases will be agreed as part of the assurance of the Business Case.

The Environment Agency is progressing the River Thames Scheme following the reset, with an updated Outline Business Case which will be submitted in summer 2026. The programme timeline for the Development Consent Order and Construction phases will be agreed as part of the assurance of the Business Case.

The Government is working with the Environment Agency (EA) on the proposal for the River Thames Scheme, with the EA leading the development in line with its National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy.

The scheme’s main objective is to reduce the risk of flooding to the 15,000 homes, 2,500 businesses and critical infrastructure in the Lower Thames. The project will be subject to the usual prioritisation and business case approvals.

I thank the hon. Lady for her question and for her excitement at having the first ever bathing water designation in the city of London. There will obviously be extremely high standards when it comes to any waste water that comes from any treatment plant. One thing we are doing through the White Paper—in fact, I met Sir Chris Whitty yesterday—is to look really seriously at public health and waste water, and what we can do to ensure the highest possible standards so that it is safe for people to enjoy all designated bathing areas.

Following the brilliant news that the River Thames at Ham and Kingston is to be designated as a bathing water area, does the Secretary of State think that Thames Water’s proposals to pump treated sewage into the river just a few metres further downstream at Teddington are compatible?

The Department for Transport has no plans to undertake feasibility studies into cross-Thames public transport between Essex and Kent. Local councils will retain the ability to use funds allocated by the Department flexibly to meet their local needs and reflect priorities.

The following water companies have permitted discharges of treated final effluent into the River Thames:

• Thames Water Utilities Ltd into the River Thames – 19
• Southern Water Services – 2
• Anglian Water Services – 4
• Albion Water – 1

35 of the most polluting Combined Sewer Overflows in London have now been intercepted by the London Tideway Tunnels. These have prevented 19 million tonnes of storm sewage polluting the River Thames since they became operational in 2025.

The Environment Agency is working with Water Companies on WINEP schemes in your constituency, including three investigations due for completion in 2027 and six projects to install monitors at sewage treatment works.

The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood defences to be created and maintained to a defined height (relative to ordnance datum) in order to protect London from flooding and inundations caused by overflows from the River Thames.

The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood defences to be created and maintained to a defined height (relative to ordnance datum) in order to protect London from flooding and inundations caused by overflows from the River Thames.

The Environment Agency (EA) maintains a comprehensive network of local and national governance and assurance boards that oversee the safety, operational performance, and investment prioritisation of its navigation assets.

Public safety is the primary factor guiding navigation investment decisions, supported by the need to maintain and improve asset condition. Prioritisation of Government Grant‑in‑Aid funding for non‑tidal Thames navigation assets is informed by statutory requirements, service delivery standards, and customer benefits across varying asset types. Water level management and enhancements to navigation facilities also form core elements of the EA’s investment planning.

Hydrometry stations across the Thames are critical for managing water abstractions, river levels, and navigation operations. The hydrological data they provide helps maintain and update flood forecasting models and informs the design of new flood risk management schemes.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the EA invested £28 million across its navigation waterways, with £18.2 million invested along the Thames.

Significant progress has been made in preparing for The River Thames Scheme to undergo Statutory Consultation to inform the application of a Development Consent Order (DCO).

The mid-project review, initiated by Project Sponsors: The Environment Agency (EA) and Surrey County Council, is ensuring the scheme design is optimised before finalising the DCO.

In addition, the Sponsors commissioned the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to independently assess the readiness of the project and sponsoring organisations to deliver the project. The cost of the development work up to this point has been £104 million.

The EA will be bringing forward an updated business case this Summer, which will set out the revised timetable to submit the DCO, an updated cost assessment, and any revised arrangement for delivery of the scheme.

Subject to approval of this business case, the next stage in progressing the project is to secure the DCO.

Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has told the Department how it intends to resolve residents’ concerns. Although the Department has no relevant powers that can be used to assist in this situation, it is currently satisfied with the PLA’s proposed course of action but will keep the matter under review.

The 195 sets of weirs and sluices that exist along the 217km of non-tidal Thames are owned and operated by the Environment Agency (EA) and are regularly inspected to assess their condition, operational effectiveness, and safety. Critical parts of the weirs and sluices are replaced throughout their lifetime as part of the EA’s maintenance programme, to ensure they continue to provide effective water level management. Future investment need is considered as part of each Spending Review. Navigation locks have a similar inspection and maintenance regime, and their wider investment need also forms part of the Spending Review process.

Taking the register referred to as meaning a risk register, the River Thames Scheme is managed as part of the Environment Agency’s (EA’s) capital FCRM Investment programme and is therefore captured within the wider programme-level corporate risk register, rather than as an individual project risk. FCRM Investment programme risks are overseen and managed through the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) assurance framework, ensuring consistent oversight and mitigation across all major schemes. The approach focuses on managing uncertainty and delivery risk collectively to ensure the programme remains within acceptable risk tolerance while maintaining delivery confidence and value for money. The EA’s risk management framework follows standards set out in the UK Government ‘Orange Book’.

Full navigation access at Temple Footbridge will be reinstated once the central section of the bridge is removed and taken off site for inspection and secure storage. This is now expected to take place in November 2025, at a cost of approximately £450,000. Public pedestrian access will be reinstated once the bridge is either refurbished or replaced. The costs of this will be known once the outline design is completed in March 2026 and the removed central section in fully inspected.

The Environment Agency (EA) will continue to invest in its Navigation infrastructure. Once the indicative costs of completing the Temple Footbridge project is known, the amount of additional grant in aid available to the EA for this project will be calculated.

The Jubilee River is part of the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eaton Flood Alleviation Scheme which is operated and maintained by the Environment Agency. The cost of maintaining and keeping the Jubilee River channel open are difficult to extract from the overall cost of operating and maintaining the flood alleviation scheme; calculating this would fall into disproportionate costs. The Environment Agency has allocated £2.3m for maintenance and capital improvements on the whole Maidenhead, Windsor and Eaton Flood Alleviation Scheme this year. In previous years spending has varied, depending on the programme of work.