Thames Water, a privately owned company headquartered in the UK, employs approximately 5,630 individuals and operates as a utilities provider. The company serves around 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, providing clean water and managing wastewater for approximately 25 percent of the UK population. It conducts over 400,000 tests per year on its drinking water and invests over £1 billion annually to improve its networks and infrastructure, encompassing pipes, sewerage treatment, and clean water treatment plants. Thames Water also generates electricity, capable of powering over 55,000 homes, and implements sustainability and education programs in schools while managing a number of nature reserves.
On February 21, 2026, research revealed that water company bosses, including those at Thames Water, collectively received over £15 million in pay and perks last year, despite an increase in serious pollution incidents and customer bills. Previously, on February 19, an Oxford plant discharged sewage into the River Thames for 335 hours, a situation exacerbated by heavy rains and floods, following recent research that identified antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Oxford’s river systems. On the same day, Thames Water completed a £20 million upgrade to its Chesham Sewage Treatment Works, which reduced phosphorous entering the River Chess by 85%. This improvement, described as "the single most important step to date" to enhance the Chess's water quality, is part of Thames Water's broader initiative to modernize infrastructure and improve river health. Simultaneously, Thames Water's creditors reportedly proposed a deal seeking to set their own rules for pollution, aiming to operate outside legal limits for the next 14 years. This follows a suggestion on February 18 from Labour-linked think tank Labour Together, which recommended that ministers allow the "embattled" Thames Water to enter special administration and reject a "fudged deal" with the water firm’s creditors.
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