Whats the Environment Agencys (EA) view?
The EA, which is responsible for regulating the impact of our business on the environment and ensuring the proper use of water resources, supports the project. It has said that our plans for mains renewal and the desalination plant will redress the potential gap between demand and available supplies, and has emphasised the need to progress quickly. In a press statement issued in response to the Government’s decision of 15 June 2007, the EA said: “The Environment Agency believes the Thames Gateway Water Treatment Plant will help reduce (the) pressure on London’s water resources during these periods of drought.” “The Environment Agency will use its regulatory powers to specify when and how Thames Water operates the plant to ensure the energy use and impact on the environment is minimised. This will include an agreed programme of actions Thames Water must follow to meet demand before desalination is considered as an option.
