Rivers and waterways

“Despite covering less than one per cent of the Earth’s surface, freshwater ecosystems (rivers, streams etc) provide a habitat for more than 100,000 known wildlife species – but many are struggling to cope due to habitat degradation.” The Rivers Trust

Rivers are a precious source of fresh water for both people and wildlife. Rivers are a vital ecosystem for many animals and plants, and they play an important part in the water cycle – the path that all water follows as it moves around our planet.

Storm discharge and storm overflows

When using rivers it’s important to know that at times, especially after heavy rain, water companies discharge untreated sewage into rivers and waterways. Thames Water’s storm discharge map shows near real-time storm discharge activity. You can use the map to see if overflows are currently discharging into a watercourse or the date and time of the last recorded discharge, to help you make a decision about using the river.

More information from Thames Water on River Health is available here

What we are doing

River Catchment Partnerships

A ‘catchment’ is an area of land where water collects when it rains, often surrounded by hills. As the water flows over the landscape, it finds its way into streams and down into the soil, eventually feeding into a river or waterway.

There are approximately 100 river catchments across England and Wales. Each one has a partnership working towards ending pollution in the river and promoting its use and enjoyment in a sustainable way.

These catchment partnerships comprise local organisations and groups, including water companies, businesses and local authorities, working together to protect our precious water environments and the benefits they bring.

We work with the following catchment partnerships to help end river pollution and promote the sustainable use and enjoyment of the River Thames.