Local MP, Munira Wilson, has written to the new Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds MP, to invite her to discuss Thames Water's Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TRDA) proposals, which are referred to locally as the Teddington sewage dump, with Teddington residents.

Munira MP had previously invited the former Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, to do as such, which he had provisionally agreed to before the recent government reshuffle.

In her letter, the Liberal Democrat wrote: "In Its recent ranking of water companies, the Environment Agency rated Thames Water the worst supplier in England - the only company to receive a one-star rating. This came as no surprise to us and to Thames Water's customers, based on the company's shocking record of environmental failings and financial mismanagement.

"It is precisely because of this abysmal track record that I and residents in my constituency have called for Thames Water's ill advised TDRA proposals to be scrapped.

"The truth is that we simply don't trust Thames Water when they tell us that replacing river water with treated sewage in Teddington won't have a harmful impact on people's health, water quality and our environment.

"Our stretch of the River Thames is a beating heart of the local community on both sides of the river. On any given day, our beautiful river and its banks are alive with people and families enjoying nature, including paddle boarding, boating, rowing and swimming in the river itself."

"Many of our local river groups are already extremely concerned about the quality of the river water, which is why groups including the Ham and Kingston Bathers and Teddington Bluetits are applying for our stretch of the river to be granted Bathing Water Designation.

"People deserve to swim, paddle and row in clean, healthy water. Yet, we're starting from an already low baseline. Between 2019 to 2022, Teddington had the 6th greatest concentration of dangerous PFAS 'forever chemicals' in the UK (11 times above safe levels set out by the EU). These concerns led me to introduce a bill in parliament to regulate PFAS levels in drinking water by law and set statutory limits."

She added: "I would be very grateful for the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my and residents' concerns in further detail. including how Thames Water's TDRA proposals fit with the Government's announcement last year that it would prioritise a polluted area of the River Thames in Teddington to make it clean and safe fort wild swimming. I hope Ian McNuff and I can welcome you to Teddington soon."

In response to Munira MP's public letter, a Thames Water spokesperson told Nub News: "We're committed to delivering a safe and secure supply of water to our customers. Our proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) project will play a vital role in keeping the taps running for millions of Londoners during drought.

 "We met with Munira earlier this year to discuss our statutory consultation. Given the project's importance in London's future water security, we would welcome a further visit from her and to host Emma Reynolds MP to explain why it is needed.

 "We'd also like to reassure local people that the project will meet water quality standards set by the Environment Agency. The project will involve taking more water from the river during period of drought. To make up for the water taken we will replenish the river with clean recycled water, using tertiary treatment. This a tried and tested method used across the world.

 "Communities have our absolute assurance that no untreated sewage will enter the river through this project, it is physically impossible by design.

 "Beyond this project, we are committed to improving river health across our region. The Thames Tideway Tunnel is the final element of a three-part solution to reduce the volume of storm sewage entering the tidal Thames in London by 95% in a typical year. The tunnel is in final testing stage and has captured over 12 million tonnes of sewage that would have otherwise discharged into the River Thames.

 "We have also embarked on the largest ever investment programme that will deliver the biggest upgrade to our network in 150 years. We are targeting a record £9.5 billion (in 2022/23 prices) of investment across wastewater infrastructure over the next five years, which will increase capacity and lower the number of storm overflows."