The London Assembly’s Environment Committee will meet representatives from Thames Water and other organisations tomorrow to discuss a range of issues, including last week’s rail flooding incident, the Tideway Tunnel and the latest Price Review.
Last week Londoners experienced major disruption when more than 1,000 trains were cancelled or delayed due to a burst water main near Farringdon station. Key questions the committee will raise are likely to include:
- What will Thames Water do to prevent further incidents like Faringdon ?
- With one-in-five Thames Water customers saying their water bill is unaffordable, how much extra will consumers have to pay to fund the £4 billion ‘super sewer,’ the Thames Tideway Tunnel?
- In much of London, sewers carry both waste and rainwater and during heavy rainfall sewage has flooded homes. How will Thames Water reduce the risk of this occurring by the 10 percent reduction Ofwat is seeking in annual instances of properties being affected by internal sewer flooding and a 9 per cent reduction in leakage levels?
Richard Aylard, External Affairs and Sustainability Director will attend on behalf of Thames Water, together with Sir Tony Redmond, Chair, London and South East Region, Consumer Council for Water, Alex Nickson, Policy and Programmes Manager at the Greater London Authority and Kevin Reid, Principal Programme Manager at the Authority.
Other issues the Environment Committee are likely to address include water supply and demand in London, metering, existing and planned infrastructure, measures to deal with sewage and drainage, and the use of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS).
In 2010 the Health & Public Services Committee responded on behalf of the london Assembly to Thames Water’s consultation on the Tideway Tunnel and concluded that it was a necessary scheme.
The meeting, which is open to members of the public to attend, will take place on Wednesday, 4 February from 10.30am in the Chamber at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1).
The meeting can also be viewed via webcast. Links for webcasts are provided in advance of the start of meetings, but do not become live until shortly before transmission. Visit https://www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london-assembly/webcasts to access the live transmission.
In a TV show that will explain the complex journey of the wastewater treatment process, Lakeside Equipment Corporation is set to feature in US Public Television’s All Access program with Andy Garcia.
Environmental Services & Solutions (ESS) Expo, the UK’s largest environmental event, has released the full speaker programme for its 2025 event, which now features seven shows spanning all corners of the environmental sector, under one roof at the NEC Birmingham.
We are exhibiting at WWEM – Water, Wastewater and Environmental Management Expo, which is one of the eight exhibitions taking place at the NEC, Birmingham 17-18 September 2025 as part of ESS Expo 2025. Please come along and visit us at Stand WW-S60.
Publication of the Independent Water Commission’s Final Report, alongside new legislation and updated national standards, marks a major turning point in the wider adoption of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) by water companies and developers, according to Alex Stephenson, director, SuDSPlanter.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video. 
What is to be done about the UK’s failing utilities? Listen to Professor Dieter Helm explore the options to tackle the UK’s failing utilities – Thames Water, the Royal Mail and Network Rail in particular.