• The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Steve Reed MP, has approved Thames Water’s Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP).
• The company’s plan sets out the actions and investment required to deliver a secure and sustainable water supply for the next 50 years and beyond.
• The decision to approve the plan follows extensive public consultation over a two-year period and supports the needs case for a new reservoir in Oxfordshire and a water recycling project in West London.
• Thames Water has 60 days to make final updates to its plan before publishing it in October 2024.
• Thames Water forecasts that it will need an additional 1 billion litres of water every day for its customers by 2050, enough to fill approximately 400 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Thames Water has secured government approval of its Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP), which sets out its strategy to provide a secure and sustainable water supply for the next 50 years.

The Southeast of England faces substantial pressure on its water resources and is designated as being seriously water stressed by the Environment Agency.

The plan sets out how Thames Water will meet the needs of an increasing population, protect and improve the environment, and manage the risks from a changing climate which is bringing hotter drier summers and more frequent droughts.

Chris Weston, CEO of Thames Water, said: “I welcome the Secretary of State’s approval of our plan, which is a vital step as we work to secure future water supply for millions of people across the South East.

“In delivering this plan we will invest in new world-class infrastructure projects, continue to drive down leakage and reduce demand for water. In turn this will significantly reduce our reliance on groundwater sources that draw from chalk streams, protecting the local environment.”

Thames Water worked alongside Water Resources South East (WRSE) and its neighbouring water companies to create its plan, which goes beyond its boundary, protecting water resources right across the region.

Chris Murray, Independent Chair at Water Resources South East, said: “Our aim is to secure the region’s water supplies and improve the environment for the future. The government’s support of this plan is a welcome step as we work to meet the challenges ahead, including ensuring sustainable levels of abstraction from rivers and streams, supplying water to a rising population and addressing climate change, which are already placing our region’s water resources under pressure.”

Underpinning 80% of Thames Water’s plan is a commitment to reduce leakage and customer demand for water. The company plans to more than halve leakage by 2050. In line with national targets, it is also striving to reduce daily water use to 110 litres per person by 2050, with current water use in the area at around 140 litres per person.

Thames Water has rolled out over 1 million smart meters across London and the Thames Valley and has plans to install or upgrade a further 1.1 million smart meters over the next five years. The technology will play a crucial role in helping customers to use water wisely.

The plan also includes two projects that are nationally significant and will play a crucial role in securing drinking water supplies for millions of households and businesses across the region. On reaching the decision to approve Thames Water's plan, the Secretary of State concluded that there is a strategic need for the following major projects

• A new 150 Mm3 reservoir in Oxfordshire, known as the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO), with plans being developed in conjunction with Affinity Water and Southern Water.
• The Teddington Direct River Abstraction project, a new abstraction on the River Thames upstream of Teddington Weir, supported by recycled water. It will provide up to 75 million litres of water per day in drought conditions.

Community engagement and consultation

Customer and community feedback is at the heart of Thames Water’s plans for future infrastructure. The company recently completed a 12-week consultation on its design plans for the proposed new reservoir near Abingdon, in Oxfordshire, whereby over 1,500 responses were received and more than 1,200 people also attended its programme of local community information events.

All consultation responses are independently verified by Ipsos. The feedback gathered will play a vital role in helping to inform the next stage of the design process. Thames Water will provide a formal response to the public consultation early next year, and local communities and stakeholders will be invited to have their say on the revised proposals for the reservoir next summer.

Later this autumn, the company will also host a series of community information events in West London to update local people on plans for its proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction Project, which is designed to protect London’s water supply during drought.

Thames Water will publish its final Water Resource Management Plan on its website in October 2024.