Introduction to our region
Our region follows the iconic River Thames and stretches from Gloucestershire to Essex. Covering countryside, villages, towns and London, our capital city. We've millions of customers to provide for and hundreds of communities to support.
Every day, we manage the unique challenges our region places on our wastewater services. From its rural terrains and geology to its growing infrastructure and densely populated areas. To serve and protect our region, it's important to understand these current conditions and challenges, as a foundation for effective planning. We'll work collaboratively with stakeholders to assess and agree ways to sustainably address these and future challenges in our DWMP.
Our wastewater services
Taking wastewater away from 16 million customers every day
Treating 4.7 billion litres of wastewater every day and returning treated water safely back to our local rivers
Pumping wastewater from our 5,144 pumping stations
352 sewage treatment works from Europe's largest in East London, to community assets serving hamlets in the Cotswolds
Maintaining and enhancing 110,000km of sewers through 1.79 million manholes
Providing more green spaces for communities to use and enjoy across our region
How our region challenges our wastewater services
- We serve two contrasting areas from the densely populated capital city of London to the more rural towns and cities in the Thames Valley
- Our region has some of the UK's most environmentally important watercourses and 90% of the world's chalk streams. Most are in the south of England
- Much of London's critical wastewater infrastructure was built in the 19th century and is around 160 years old. These ageing assets are now deteriorating.
- We share boundaries with four other waste and sewerage companies, Anglian Water, Severn Trent Water, Wessex Water and Southern Water
- We've many designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). We must protect these rare geological features and unique wildlife under UK law.
- Around 17% of our sewerage systems are at times overwhelmed by groundwater infiltration. This is mainly due to the chalk geology beneath them.