86% drop in sewage discharges into Thames as the operation of Thames Tideway Tunnel transfers to Thames Water

• The first annual Tideway Benefits Report shows storm overflows to the tidal Thames reduced by 86%* compared to the pre-Tideway period.
• The tunnel has prevented approximately 84 tonnes of sewage-derived litter, items such as wet wipes and sanitary products, from entering the river in 2025, helping improve conditions for wildlife and river users.
• River users can feel more confident spending time on the river, with days of elevated health risk linked to sewage overflows reduced from 75.7% to 10.4%

The first annual Tideway Benefits Report has revealed significant improvement in river health following the opening of the super sewer in 2025.

Storm overflows to the tidal Thames have been successfully reduced by 86%, compared to pre-Tideway levels, as the operation of this significant asset is transferred to Thames Water from Tideway, the company set up to deliver the project.

The findings mark a new chapter for the River Thames and signals that London’s principal waterway, which was once declared biologically dead in the late 1950s, is firmly on the road to recovery.

The report, which provides the first full-year assessment of the environmental benefits delivered by the tunnel during its commissioning phase, shows concrete improvements across all four of its core objectives: reducing sewage discharges, improving water quality, lowering sewage-derived litter and minimising days associated to elevated health risks for river users.

Annual storm overflow volumes fell by approximately 86% to just under three million cubic metres in 2025, compared to a pre-Tideway average of more than 21 million cubic metres. 

The report reemphasises that while weather can influence discharge volumes, with last year being unusually dry, the reduction that was seen in 2025 substantially exceeds what would be expected from rainfall patterns alone and demonstrates the impact of the tunnel.

The benefits are also being experienced, first hand, by millions of people who use and enjoy the Thames each year. Days associated with elevated health risks linked to storm overflows have reduced drastically from an average of 75.7% of days to just 10.4% in 2025, compared to a time when the Thames Tideway Tunnel didn’t exist.

In a more encouraging outlook, the tunnel system has also helped tackle one of the most visible forms of river pollution. During 2025, an estimated 84 tonnes of sewage-derived litter, including wet wipes, sanitary products and plastics, were prevented from entering the Thames. Across the wider London Tideway Tunnel system, around 130 tonnes of sewage-derived litter were intercepted before reaching the river.

To further re-enforce this outlook, monitoring by environmental charity Thames21 recorded a significant reduction in sewage-derived litter on the foreshore, with sewage-related items falling from 30% of litter recorded before the tunnel became operational to 18% in 2025.

The findings complement ZSL's (Zoological Society of London) recent State of the Thames report, which highlighted encouraging signs of recovery across the river and demonstrated how decades of investment and action have helped improve conditions for wildlife and people. The report also warned that pollution and climate change remain significant challenges, underlining the importance of continued action to improve the health and resilience of the Thames.

Tess Fayers, Director of Waste and Bioresources at Thames Water, said: "This report shows that the Thames Tideway Tunnel is already delivering real benefits for the River Thames.

“As responsibility for operating the Thames Tideway Tunnel passes to Thames Water, we are seeing dramatically fewer sewage discharges entering the river, less sewage-derived litter reaching our foreshores and significantly improved river water quality.”

"The River Thames is one of the world's great urban rivers and a vital habitat for wildlife. This is an important milestone for the river and a significant step towards a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Thames for future generations."

Henrietta Gibb, Director of Impact and Engagement at Tideway, said: “These first-year results show the profound difference the Thames Tideway Tunnel is already making to the river. The dramatic reduction in sewage discharges, litter and days of elevated health risk means cleaner water, better conditions for wildlife and a healthier Thames for everyone who uses and enjoys it.

“Protecting the Thames for generations to come has always been at the heart of this project and, while the system will fully prove itself over the longer term, it is hugely rewarding to see the progress already being made.”

Alison Debney, Conservation Lead UK Nature Recovery at ZSL (Zoological Society of London) said:

“This report, alongside our latest State of the Thames report published earlier this year, provides a clear demonstration that investment in water treatment infrastructure delivers tangible improvements in water quality, benefiting both wildlife and public health.

“While there is still work to do, it is encouraging to see the progress being made in diverting untreated sewage away from the Thames, reducing risks to this vital ecosystem and the wildlife and people that depend on it.

“Continued investment and innovation remain essential, in further preventing pollution from entering our rivers and protecting the long-term health and resilience of the Thames for nature and people alike.”

The report also found that only a single dissolved oxygen depletion event in 2025 linked to sewage overflow activity, as the tunnel creates better conditions for fish and other aquatic wildlife in the tidal Thames.

Thames Water and Tideway will continue to publish annual reports tracking the environmental benefits delivered by the tunnel as they move into long-term operation.

 

Notes to editors:

• *The 86% is based on modelled volumes and not discharges
• The full Benefits Report can be accessed here (file is located towards the bottom of the page)

About Thames Water

Thames Water is the UK’s biggest water and wastewater services provider, providing 2.6 billion litres of drinking water and safely removing 4.3 billion litres of wastewater every day.  Our people provide essential services around the clock to c.16 million customers across London, the Thames Valley, and surrounding areas. 

In 2025, we started the biggest upgrade to our network in 150 years, which will see a record-breaking investment of over £20 billion, fixing leaks, reducing pollution and protecting water quality, over the next five years. In 2025/26, we invested £2.7 billion, and we will continue to spend wisely on improving resilience, service, and efficiency, as well as provide more support for customers in vulnerable circumstances. 

We also have additional responsibilities to society and the natural environment. What we do and how we do it delivers significant public value, which is why we have ambitious plans to self-generate more of our own power, reduce our carbon emissions and increase biodiversity across our sites. 

To find out more about the work of Thames Water listen to our podcast ‘Thames Unfiltered’.  

About Tideway

Tideway is the company responsible for delivering the Thames Tideway Tunnel, a 25km sewer built to protect the River Thames from sewage pollution. The tunnel captures, stores and transfers storm sewage that would previously have overflowed into the river during heavy rainfall, helping to create a cleaner and healthier Thames for people and wildlife.

Established as an independent regulated utility, Tideway financed, built and commissioned the tunnel, while also delivering above and beyond its core objective through a wide-ranging legacy programme designed to create lasting benefits for London and its communities. Responsibility for operating the asset transfers to Thames Water in 2026, while Tideway retains ownership of the tunnel and continues to work to maximise its benefits for the Thames, London and Londoners for the future.