Project to make River Thames drinkable gets royal seal of approval

A key project to clean up the River Thames and make it drinkable involving Kingston University academics has been given royal backing, following a visit from HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Organised by the Thames Landscape Strategy, the visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Canbury Gardens, Kingston for the official opening of the River Thames Project showcased the work undertaken along the River Thames embankment in partnership with the Royal Borough of Kingston (RBK), which aims to enhance and connect the riverside spaces for the benefit of the community and future generations.

The project follows on from last year, when Kingston University academics from the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry (LSPC) were invited to contribute to a clean-up of the river as part of the Mayors for a Drinkable Thames project.

Since then, £45,000 has been secured by RBK, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Surfers Against Sewage to monitor the Windsor-Kingston-Richmond corridor and £65,000 from the Port of London Authority to monitor from Teddington Lock seawards. This funding covers a three-year PhD studentship, consultancy and monitoring equipment.

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.

The research team in Kingston University’s School of LSPC 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 pollution modelling.

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 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 Univerity’s focus on the project comes in.

Recognising their dependence on the Thames and its tributaries, the network 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 (some in real time) to build a locally predictive forecasting model which will be publicly available and can be used to help public amenities be safer for residents and visitors to use.

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.

Professor of Analyical Science at Kingston University Professor James Barker, who met the Duke of Gloucester during his visit, said the project is vital in ensuring the River Thames was safer for businesses, the public and the environment. 

“Our ambition is to turn scientific evidence into practical action to protect the River Thames. By combining advanced chemical analysis, environmental monitoring and predictive modelling, we aim to identify pollution risks earlier, improve public access to reliable water-quality information and help make the Thames safer for people and wildlife. A drinkable Thames is a long-term vision, and this project is an important step towards achieving it,” he said.

• Find out more about the Mayors for a Drinkable Thames project.