GARD chairman updates the present position (Nov 2014) “We continue to concentrate on holding Thames Water (TW) to account in their researches into the main options for a major water resource to supply London’s needs from 2030 onwards. These options are: *Re-use of treated waste water, *Bulk water storage in times of plenty (new reservoirs), *Transfer of water from the R.Severn to the R.Thames, *Desalinisation. Until 2030 TW’s solution involves greater reliance on waste water re-use, with considerable research going on at their London treatment works at Deephams. This includes both conventional and reverse osmosis treatments, the latter being more expensive but to-date more reliable. There are also variations of both under examination. TW say that, as their researches will take some time, no conclusive outcomes can be expected until 2017. If successful, the re-use option could be expanded as a major long term supply solution beyond 2030. Desalinisation is a more extreme and currently more expensive form of treatment which would use saline water from the Thames Estuary. The reservoir option has not progressed since TW’s 2009 Plan was overturned by the 2010 Public Inquiry. Several sizes of reservoir could be envisaged, but, for a capacity of over 75 million cubic metres, TW say an Abingdon reservoir is the most viable option. For smaller reservoirs, there are other sites available. GARD is adamant that a massive storage capacity reservoir is not needed. The Severn to Thames transfer option is the one which GARD put forward at the Public Inquiry (where it emerged that TW had dismissed it with minimal research.) Within this overall option there is a range of versions, each of which has been examined in detail by GARD’s expert consultant, Mr John Lawson FREng. His computer models show several of them to be much more economic, less damaging and more effective than TW’s other proposals. GARD continues to be in regular contact with Thames Water, keeping their consultants informed, and the Environment Agency. We will also maintain a programme of monitoring TW’s work. Although it will probably be 2017 before TW’s clear choice of major water supply options for London emerge, if in the meantime there are any significant new developments to report, these will be the subject of a new update.” |
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