Stakeholders Debate Hygiene As London Plans To Convert Sewage Into Drinking Water

A new strategy has been revealed by the company that supplies drinkable water for the city of London with which it will be able to supply sufficient water for the mega city. According to Thames Water, its long-term strategy will see it supplying drinking water from recycled sewage.

The company said finding a new way is necessary for the company to be able to handle the expected population boom in London in the next 25 years. With the anticipated population expansion, the daily volume of water required would also rise to 340 million litres per day.

In addition, the expansion would raise London waste water area to 16 million thus putting more pressure on the Thames Water‘s sewage works which the company said would need to increase the volume of sludge for sewage treatment and recycling.

“It’s all about making sure there is enough water to go around, now and in the future,” Simon Evans, Thames Water's spokesman said.

An expert, Dr Andrew Singer, a microbiologist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, however believes the idea is feasible but would require rigorous research, intensive planning and extensive campaigns.

 “If there is no further treatment of the sewage before they inject it into the rivers, that could have implications for things that live in the river. The drinking water facility would have to be aware that they are starting off with so much more sewage – the pharmaceuticals in sewage are quite resistant to breaking down, so they would have to work that much harder to make sure the drinking water doesn't have these chemicals in it. It’s a problem that can be solved by throwing money at it. 

"Whether the rivers are any better off for it, you can look at it two ways – the river will have more water in it, which is a good thing, but the water is going to be from sewage effluent and that’s more of an unknown,” he said.