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Final call: Londoner’s encouraged to share views and shape Thames Water’s drought resilience project

Final call: Londoner’s encouraged to share views and shape Thames Water’s vital drought resilience project

Teddington lock
  • With one week to go, Thames Water is calling on its customers and communities to have their say and share feedback on its vital drought resilience project for London.
  • The Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) project would supply up to 75 million litres of water each day during drought – enough water for around 500,000 people.
  • The company welcomed more than 700 people to its local and online events which it held as part of its ongoing 10-week consultation.

The UK’s largest water company is consulting on its plans to keep the taps running across the capital during drought. In periods of prolonged hot and dry weather, the Teddington Direct River Abstraction project would safeguard water supply for London’s residents, businesses, schools, hospitals and other essential services.

The nationally significant infrastructure project will enable the company to take more water from the River Thames during drought, transferring it through an existing tunnel to its Lee Valley Reservoirs. Thames Water will use a tried and tested water recycling technology to top up the Thames with clean, river-ready water, upstream of Teddington Weir.

Extreme weather patterns and more frequent droughts means the company must plan for an unpredictable future. England has recently recorded the warmest June on record and driest spring in over a century, highlighting the growing pressure on the country’s precious water resources.

A growing population is also adding pressure. The number of water customers the company serves has already grown by 1 million over the last decade and Thames Water forecasts it will need to supply drinking water to over 12 million people by 2050, including over 10 million people in London.

Leonie Dubois, Head of Engagement, Land and Consents at Thames Water, said: “In the last week England has experienced its fourth heat wave of the summer, following months of extremely dry weather. 

“The prolonged dry weather means our precious rivers and groundwater sources are under increasing pressure, clearly demonstrating that we need to invest in new sources of water.

“Our London drought resilience project will be of critical importance when it comes to securing the city’s water supply. It will help us to meet the challenges ahead, including more frequent droughts and a growing a population.

“While we've already received thousands of responses on our plans, we want to hear from as many people as possible. If you haven’t done so already, please do take the time to share your views and help shape this essential project.”

Have your say

The company launched its statutory consultation on Tuesday 17 June to gather feedback on its plans, including the project design, construction activities, and opportunities to enhance local spaces.

One week remains for customers and communities to share their feedback, with the consultation closing at 11:59pm on Tuesday 26 August 2025.

The company has already made several changes to the project following feedback gathered during its previous public consultation, including halving the number of shafts needed to construct the tunnels required.

Consultation materials, maps and technical documents can be reviewed online at .

How to respond

Feedback can be submitted in the following ways: