20 Mar 2025

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 […]

31 Dec 2024

An investigation by The Guardian has found that Thames Water intentionally diverted millions of pounds pledged for environmental clean-ups towards other costs including bonuses and dividends. The company, which serves more than 16 million customers, cut the funds after senior managers assessed the potential risks of such a move. Discussions – held in secret – […]

29 May 2024

From Action Network Target: Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food, And Rural Affairs Untreated sewage was discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023. In 2022, water companies paid out £1.4 billion in dividends – even as 11 of them were fined in the same year for missing performance […]

10 Jan 2024

Reported by the BBC One of the biggest investors in Thames Water has slashed the value of its stake in the debt-laden utility by almost two-thirds, weeks after the company admitted that it does not have enough money to make its debt repayments. A fund controlled by Thames Water’s second largest investor, the University Superannuation […]

06 Sep 2023

Professor Sir Dieter Helm sets out the arguments against nationalisation and the status quo. Mention Thames Water (“Thames”) and eyes tend to glaze over. How could the great promises of privatisation have come to this? Across the industry, most try to keep their distance in case the Thames experience undermines their own reputations. On most […]

13 Jul 2023

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee quizzed key decision-makers involved with Thames Water to a public hearing of the Committee on Wednesday 12 July to explain the difficulties facing the company and the water industry more generally. The Committee asked about the causes of the problems facing Thames Water and the potential solutions – […]