Written question to the Mayor of London on water quality, question submitted on the 23rd May and answered on the 29th May.
Question No: 2024/1607
Question (Thomas Turrell AM) 23rd May 2024:
We welcome your commitment to follow the Government’s lead on improving water quality and passing the toughest ever legislation on water companies. What practical steps will you take to improve water quality in the Thames?
Answer (Sadiq Khan) 29 May 2024:
It has been a tragedy to watch the government oversee the polluting and degrading of our nation’s waterways. The public are rightly scandalised at how dire the situation has become.
While I have neither the power or the resource to turn round this situation on my own, my manifesto committed to working with the relevant stakeholders to develop a plan that would see our rivers and waterways clean enough to swim in, where it is safe to do so. My ambition for swimmable rivers in London will need to include infrastructure improvements to stop needless pollution and flooding, and to end discharges into London’s rivers. It will consider the potential of natural systems to address these challenges.
I achieved my 10km river restoration target early, with work undertaken to improve river and stream habitats in the city. Work to restore and enhance London’s rivers and wetlands continues through our grant programmes. We will make progress for nature by working with nature - with beavers building dams, reedbeds filtering out pollution, and trees absorbing flood water
London is also leading the way in innovating the creation of Sustainable urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), working in collaboration with community groups, schools and boroughs to deliver a variety of different projects to slow the flow of water across the capital.
