The Port of London Authority (PLA) has launched a large scale clean-up project for the River Thames in London. The plan has been called “Clean Thames Manifesto” and aims to reduce the amount of sewage and other pollutants like chemicals and plastic rubbish in the river.
Sewage spills by three water companies have agreed to stop this practice by 2040. The three water companies, Anglian Water, Southern Water and Thames Water, aim to work faster together on the Manifesto in order to speed up pollution targets and therefore bring them forward by 10 years.
The PLA is responsible for the condition of about 95 miles (153km) of the Thames. Storm overflows will be focused on, which are designed to release sewage when the system is at risk of being overwhelmed. Wet-wipe build-ups are also a problem along the river and is according to the PLA a “key-priority”. The PLA supports a ban on the sale of plastic wipes.
By 2024 boats will also be banned from emptying their waste into the the Thames. Event duration monitors (EDMs) will be fitted to sewer flows by the end of the year. Campaigning for the water-quality data to be made publicly available will take place and the Thames Litter Strategy will be updated.
Photo: (c) pixels.com/Peter Laskowski
