21 ways Thames21 is fighting pollution in the Thames
Many column inches have been devoted to the sewage pollution challenge in the River Thames in recent times. The river faces other threats, such as toxic road runoff pollution and plastic pollution. However, much less has been written about the solutions. We have been working with our volunteers, local communities, partners and funders over the past 21 years to help protect the River Thames, its tributaries and their surrounding ecosystems.
Our rivers aren’t just home to much-loved wildlife like dragonflies, frogs and birds; they are also essential for people – providing water for our homes, being used for recreation and providing water for industries.
As we celebrate our 21st birthday this year, we’re highlighting 21 ways we’ve been helping London’s rivers for the past years. Learn more about some of our successful projects and how we’re working collaboratively with our volunteers and partners to help improve and protect the River Thames and its tributaries.
1) Thames21 played an instrumental role in getting the Tideway Tunnel project off the ground and chaired the ‘Thames Tunnel Now Coalition’. The Tideway Tunnel, which was officially switched on this year, has been designed to reduce the amount of raw sewage that flows into the river – by around 95%. From 2011, Thames21 and the coalition comprising groups such as RSPB, WWF, London Wildlife Trust, Angling Trust, River Thames Society and angling and boating groups campaigned for the Tideway Tunnel and was successful in getting the green light from the government to develop it, overcoming legal hurdles in the process. The Tideway Tunnel – nicknamed the super sewer – aims to make the River Thames cleaner for both Londoners and river wildlife.
2)Thames21 has created 12 constructed wetlands, over the last 21 years, which prevent pollution getting into rivers and create fantastic places for people. Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution challenges are putting heavy strains on our waterways. With climate change, it is likely that large rainfall events will become more frequent, making the storage of water in green urban spaces increasingly important to reduce the flooding of homes. Thames21 has worked with our volunteers and partners to implement nature-based solutions such as wetlands to tackle these challenges. This has helped to improve water quality, filter road runoff, kept pollutants out of the waterways, prevented flooding and boosted biodiversity. For instance, our collaborative Chinbook Meadows Wetlands project, which officially opened in 2024, has helped to incorporate all these factors. From going to a ditch to a new beautiful space, Chinbrook Meadows is now teeming with wildlife, including birds, dragonflies, ducks and frogspawn. View video here.
3) Sharing knowledge and creating innovative approaches to tackle pollution issues
Thames21 has worked together with academics to develop nature-based solutions to show that constructed wetlands can be used to treat water quality in highly polluted urban areas. Please view academic paper here.
4) Developing the pioneering Road Pollutions Solutions tool
In 2019, Thames21 led the first phase of a partnership project with Middlesex University and ZSL (funded by the Environment Agency, Transport for London and the Greater London Authority) quantifying the amount of pollution from roads entering our rivers. Road runoff occurs when pollutants that settle on the surface of the road – such as residue from oil spills, as well as tyre and brake wear from vehicles – build up during dry weather and are then washed into rivers and streams when it rains.
The first phase of the study identified roads of varying levels of priority that could have the greatest potential to contribute towards pollution in London’s rivers, to help identify the best locations for interventions to address this issue.
The second phase, launched in 2023, created an online, interactive and evidence-based decision tool, the Road Pollution Solutions Tool, that predicts the pollution risk posed by London’s strategic road network, identifies pollution pathways into the river and guides and prioritises where and how nature-based solutions can be used to tackle road runoff pollution.
5) Expansion of the Road Pollution Solutions Tool
The approach is now being rolled out across the whole of the Upper Thames catchment above Dorchester upon Thames, which includes Oxford and sections of motorways such as the M4 and M40. The project, which is funded by the Government Office for Technology Transfer and will last for 18 months (from August 2024), is a partnership between the British Geological Survey, Thames21 and Imperial College London. This work will also expand the approach to assessing agricultural pollution and particularly how roads transport this pollution to rivers – a major issue in rural areas.
This pioneering tool has influenced how the Greater London Authority has awarded and prioritised funding for nature-based solutions to protect and clean our rivers.
6) We have worked with many partners to get Port Meadow in Oxford, the second river site in the UK and first in the Thames, designated as a bathing water site in 2022. If a site has a designated bathing water status, it means that bacteria harmful to human health (such as E. coli and Intestinal enterococci) are weekly monitored during the bathing season by the Environment Agency, and information on the water quality is displayed publicly. Bathing water status puts a duty on the water company to clean up any outfalls which are polluting the site – water companies receive fines based on the proportion of failing bathing waters in their area. In Oxford, the designation has brought about a £0.5 million investigation and prioritised investment in sewage works upriver of the site.
7) In 2024, Wallingford Beach was the second site in the Thames to be designated as a bathing water site. Thames21 worked with South Oxfordshire District Council and Wallingford Town Council to make this happen. Campaigning and citizen science at this site meant that an upgrade to Benson sewage treatment works was prioritised, and completed in 2024.
8) Thames21 has identified and developed evidence for seven bathing water sites across the rest of the Thames Basin. These sites include Port Meadow South, Longbridges, Kennington Meadows, Swinford Toll Bridge, Henley, Pangbourne, and the River Roding.
9) Thames21 collects evidence of pollution through citizen science programmes and other initiatives at nine catchments. These catchments include the Cherwell and Ray catchment, the Brent catchment, the London Lea catchment, the Maidenhead to Teddington catchment, the Ravensbourne catchment, the Roding, Beam & Ingrebourne catchment, the South Essex catchment, the Tidal Thames catchment and the South Chilterns catchment. Since March 2023, more than 700 water samples have been taken and tested to assess water quality across these catchments.
10) In partnership with the Rivers Trust and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Thames21 launched the Oxford Rivers Portal in 2024. This interactive map brings live raw sewage spill alerts, water quality measurements taken by the Environment Agency and citizen scientists, water levels, flood warnings, and bacteria measurements at Oxfordshire’s designated bathing waters at Port Meadow in Oxford and Wallingford Beach. Previously, these varied data sources were available on different websites and were difficult to access. More than providing river users and the general public with information about rivers in Oxfordshire, the portal aims to stimulate multistakeholder discussions and action, influencing policies and management relating to rivers and streams.
The development of the Oxford Rivers Portal is part of the European GOVAQUA project, which aims to accelerate a transition towards sustainable and equitable water use by better water governance. It is funded by the European Union and UK Research and Innovation.
11) Empowering local communities
Through the EMPOWER Rivers Programme, launched in 2023, Thames21 is supporting communities to gather evidence and advocate for improvements in their local rivers by providing volunteers and River Action Groups with equipment, training and advice.
Citizen scientists help us to monitor and assess the health of our rivers. Thames21 runs five training programmes that enable volunteers to run their own groups, learn about river health and how to improve their rivers and become citizen scientists by testing water quality and carrying out wildlife surveys.
Additionally, the programme supports both community-led groups and large river restoration projects through a ‘Community Grant Scheme’ – awarding grants of up to £20,000. In addition to this, a ‘Large Grant Scheme’ awards a £100,000 grant. The programme is made possible through funding received from the Lund Trust.
12) Successfully campaigned for the first real-time alerts of storm overflows in the UK in 2021 (Oxford), which lead to this being legislated for nationally (Environment Act 2021). Now all water companies must provide live storm overflow alerts.
13) 150,000 people have helped Thames21 with our work over the last 21 years.
14) Inspiring people to learn more, connect and protect their rivers
We currently have 15 active community-led River Action Groups working in the Thames Basin with more than 3,000 people volunteering with them.
15) Thames21 has coordinated London Rivers Week festivals since 2016, connecting more than 11,500 Londoners to their local rivers. London Rivers Week is a week-long annual campaign inspiring the public to celebrate all of London’s rivers and the many projects taking place to protect them. Most activities are FREE and include guided walks, talks and cultural events.
16) Thames21 has been tirelessly campaigning to ban plastic in wet wipes for many years to stop the introduction of microplastics into the environment and to protect the health of the Thames. Since 2017, we have worked with our volunteers to collect around 143,000 wet wipes from the Thames foreshore. We have used this evidence to support our campaign. in 2024 it was annoucned that legislation to ban plastic in wet wipes will be introduced .
17)Through our Thames River Watch programme, we have run 1,288 clean ups since 2016, having collected 99,903 plastic bottles from the Thames foreshore.
18)Since 2018, we have collected 13,530 plastic cups and filled 14,670 bin bags.
19) We developed a robust methodology to monitor litter pollution at eight key sites along the tidal Thames. This approach will also provide information on the planned reduction in pollution as a result of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
20) Volunteers have spent 17,100 hours volunteering at our Thames River Watch activities since 2016.
21) During 2021-2024 via our Thames River Watch programme, we have inspired nearly 1,000 schoolchildren to cherish their local rivers through our educational talks.
There is much more that needs to be done, and we will keep working hard with our volunteers, partners and funders to help restore the health of our rivers. Watch this space!