Thames Water has today launched a major 10- week statutory public consultation on its proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) project - the nationally significant infrastructure project aim is to provide a safe, secure and sustainable water supply for millions of Londoners during drought, supported by water recycling.

The TDRA project will provide up to 75 million litres of water each day – enough water for around 500,000 people. This project would spare London’s economy from the effects of a severe drought which could cost the economy as much as £500 million a day. 

The number of people living and working in the capital is also projected to grow significantly. The UK’s largest water company is forecasting it will need an additional billion litres of water daily by 2050 to serve two million more Londoners.

The vital project is designed to safeguard the drinking water supply for London’s residents, businesses, schools, hospitals and other essential services during periods of drought.

In addition to the pressure on water resources from population growth, extreme weather, including hotter, drier summers and more frequent droughts, presents its own set of challenges.

Water resources across the region are already under increasing pressure, with the Environment Agency designating the South East as seriously water stressed.

Together, all these factors, including an increasing demand for water all place additional strain on precious water resources. New infrastructure will therefore be vital to keep the taps running and to protect the local environment, reducing the amount of water taken from rivers, chalk streams and groundwater sources.

How the project works

The project, which will only operate during drought, works in two parts. The first phase involves taking water from the River Thames, upstream of Teddington Weir and transferring it through a new purpose-built pipeline, to an existing underground tunnel. Here water would flow up to Thames Water’s Lee Valley Reservoirs, ready to bolster London’s essential drinking water supply.

The use of water recycling lies at the heart of this project - to maintain river flow and protect the local environment, the company would top up the Thames, with highly treated, recycled water.

Wastewater is already treated until it is clean enough to go back into environment – the TDRA project involves an additional layer of cleaning, known as Tertiary Treatment. The treated water would travel to the River Thames through a new recycled water tunnel and be released upstream of Teddington Weir, protecting river levels and wildlife.

Leonie Dubois, Head of Engagement, Land and Consents at Thames Water, said:

“London faces a critical water security challenge that demands immediate action. This spring has already broken records, as the warmest and sunniest in over a century and has also been extremely dry, increasing the risk of drought. Our London drought resilience project is therefore essential to prevent the taps from running dry during increasingly frequent droughts.

"This consultation gives people the opportunity to help shape a project that will protect London's water resilience for generations to come. We’re hosting in person and virtual events across the summer where customers and communities are invited to find out more about the proposals, meet the project team and have their say, along with the opportunity to give their feedback.”

Have your say

Thames Water is hosting 10 consultation events, eight in-person and two virtual, across June and July where the public can find out more and talk to the team. The utility is encouraging anyone with an interest in the project to attend one of the events – click here for details of dates, timings and locations. https://thames-sro.co.uk/events/

The company has already made several changes to the project following feedback gathered during a previous public consultation, including reducing the number of shafts needed to construct the tunnels required. The current consultation asks for feedback on the proposals for the project, including proposed routes of the two new tunnels.

The consultation materials also contain information on the proposed construction methods for the project. People can share their comments on the construction approach and infrastructure required through the feedback form.

A dedicated project website displaying all the consultation materials can be accessed at www.thames-sro.co.uk/tdra/statcon2025.

Responses to the public consultation must be received in writing by the deadline of 11.59pm on Tuesday 26 August 2025.

Feedback can be submitted in one of the following ways:

• By filling in the online feedback form, which can be found at the consultation website at www.thames-sro.co.uk/tdra/statcon2025
• Emailing the dedicated consultation response email address at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Filling in a printed feedback forms available at the events or at one of the various locations in the community (details can be found on the project website) and posting it free of charge to FREEPOST TDRA CONSULTATION.
• Writing free of charge at FREEPOST TDRA CONSULTATION

Click here to read an Expert Focus article by Antonin Fradin, Head of Smart Operations and Assets for SUEZ Digital Solutions, which takes an in-depth look at how organisations tackle drought in an era of growing water scarcity.