Thames Water was reported to have discharged 50% more sewage into England’s rivers last year, compared with the previous 12 months. In numbers, this rose from 196,414 hours of raw effluent in 2023 to 300,000 hours in 2024.

The data was analysed by University College of London Professor Peter Hammond after Thames Water won approval from the court of appeal for a £3bn emergency debt bailout to avoid collapse. Environmental campaigners and a small group of Thames’s creditors unsuccessfully challenged the bailout loan on the grounds it was not in the public interest and would continue a “Thames Water debt doom loop”.

They argued temporary nationalisation under a special administration regime would be a better option. The extra £3bn in funding allows the UK’s largest water company to continue operating for at least another 12 months giving it time to restructure its nearly £20bn in debt and try to attract new investment.

Photo description: a pipe with water pouring out of it into a ditch. Photo by Joseph Russo

Thames Water has since asked regulator Ofwat to spare the company billions of pounds of costs and fines over the next five years and allow an increase customer bills so it can attract new investors.Thames Water is seeking to find a new buyer in the next eight weeks, and both Thames and a group of hedge funds lending it £3bn of high-interest debt said new investors will walk away unless Ofwat grants huge allowances on costs.

The water company recently featured in a documentary, attempting to highlight the struggle of keeping the business afloat. Thames Water said it has received six takeover approaches from potential suitors to buy the company, and that it hopes to agree a deal by the end of June. Thames also confirmed its appeal to the UK’s competition watchdog to allow it to raise consumer bills by more than previously agreed had been put on hold for about four months.