Kingston University joins key project to make River Thames drinkable

Academics from Kingston University have been invited to contribute to an ambitious project to clean up the River Thames and make the water drinkable.

The Mayors for a Drinkable Thames project is a network of boroughs, mayors, councillors and local stakeholders that has adopted a future ambition of making the River Thames drinkable, and Kingston Councillor James Manthel has invited Kingston University’s School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry to take part.

The research team in the School will carry out analysis of river pollutants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, anti-cancer drugs, microplastics, pathogens and drugs of abuse, as well as monitoring the ecology of the water ecosystem. This research will be complemented by a pollution modelling team from University College London, who have created a website showing sewage outfall in river systems.

Recognising their dependence on the Thames and its tributaries, the network, which includes representatives from the boroughs of Kingston, Richmond, Spelthorne, Hounslow, Elmbridge and Runnymede, has launched the project to improve the health of the river, which is vital for commuters, businesses, flora and fauna, and for users such as rowers, sailors and swimmers.

The project will see water analysis carried out at various locations along the Thames in order to build a locally predictive forecasting model that can be used to help public amenities, such as Sea Scouts, Albany Outdoors Achieving for Children etc. be safer for residents and visitors to use.

The project comes amidst growing public concern about sewage spills and rising bills, with the future of water regulation a hot topic of debate. Currently, water responsibilities are shared between economic regulator Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, but a recent government-instigated Independent Water Commission review has proposed a single water regulator in England.

The review also recommended reforming current water company self-monitoring and reporting of pollution and sewage incidents to the regulator, while stating regulators must develop a stronger approach to monitoring through the use of advanced technology such as artificial intelligence for inspections and third-party checks.

It also suggested there should be an increased focus on monitoring other forms of pollution such as agriculture, microplastics and forever chemicals – which is where Kingston’s focus on the project comes in.

Director of the Health, Education and Society Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute (KERI) at Kingston University, Professor Adam Le Gresley, said the project aligned with the University’s Town House Strategy mission to enable a sustainable future. “This topical project will help us enable a sustainable future socially, economically and environmentally, while also complementing our KERI objectives by working closely with communities, government and industry to turn innovative ideas into practical solutions that improve wellbeing and shape policy and practice,” he said.

Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange in the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Dr Brian Rooney said the University was a key project for the local community. “This project allows us to deploy our world-leading expertise in analytical chemistry and environmental research to contribute to understanding the health of our local rivers and waterways. We are excited to work with our local community on this ambitious project,” he said.

The Mayors for a Drinkable Thames project sits alongside a similar European initiative called Mayors for a Drinkable Meuse, which features a network covering France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Both projects meet four of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

• Find out more about the Mayors for a Drinkable Thames project.
• Find out more about the Health, Education and Society KERI.