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Thames Water, known originally as the Thames Water Authority and after privatisation as Thames Water plc, is the utility responsible for water supply and waste water treatment in London and the Thames Valley. Originally it was also responsible for managing the rivers and water catchments of the area, and was the navigation authority of the non-tidal River Thames, but these responsibilities ceased with privatisation.
The Thames Water Authority was founded in 1973, under the terms of the Water Act 1973. It was a successor to several statutary water supply and catchment area management bodies, including:
- The Metropolitan Water Board, responsible for water supply and drainage in London.
- The Thames Conservancy, responsible for managing the non-tidal River Thames.
- The Lee Conservancy
- Croydon Corporation
- Epsom and Ewell Corporation
- Swindon Corporation
- Watford Corporation
- Cotswold Water Board
- Middle Thames Water Board
- Oxfordshire and District Water Board
- Thames Valley Water Board
- West Surrey Water Board
- Colne Valley Water Company
- East Surrey Water Company
- Lee Valley Water Company
- Mid Southern Water Company
- Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Company
- Sutton District Water Company
- South West Suburban Water Company
- Woking and District Water Company
Thames Water was privatised in 1989, with transfer of its regulatory, river management and navigation responsibilities to the National Rivers Authority, which later became part of the Environment Agency. In 2001, Thames Water plc was acquired by the German utility company RWE.
Thames Water has been repeatedly criticised for the amount of water that leaks from its pipes by the industry regulator OFWAT and fined by the Environment Agency for this. The figure for 05/06 was nearly 900 megalitres per day
In July 2006, instead of fine, which would have gone "to the exchequer" the company agreed to £150 million investment in repairs.*
The headquarters of Thames Water are located adjacent to Reading Bridge on the River Thames in Reading.
References
- Thames Water. History of Thames Water. Retrieved January 27, 2006.
External links
River Thames | London water infrastructure | Water companies of the United Kingdom | Utilities of the United Kingdom | Former nationalised industries of the United Kingdom
"Thames Water"