Before the summer break, Thames Water was actively running “Debate Mate with Thames Water” workshops in local schools, youth clubs, and universities, focusing on the controversial TDRA (Thames Direct River Abstraction which we call the Thames Sewage Pump). While positioning this outreach as an educational community initiative, the water company’s actions raised serious alarms about transparency.
Why the Pre-Summer Secrecy?
What narrative did they present to young, impressionable minds that they were unwilling to share with parents and the wider public? SOLAR formally asked Thames Water to publish the specific educational materials they used during these sessions. Thames Water refused.
With a critical planning application potentially just 11 months away, and numerous questions from the public consultation remaining unanswered even then, Thames Water should have been operating with complete openness. Instead, they chose to withhold the precise information they were sharing with the next generation of stakeholders. This secrecy suggested a calculated effort to control the project narrative outside of public scrutiny before the consultation intensified.
SOLAR is continuing to press Thames Water for the full disclosure of these pre-summer materials. The public deserves to know what information was presented about a major environmental and infrastructure project.
[Please note the above image was created using AI and is a representation of our frustration rather than a real life image]
Action Required: Did Your Child Bring Home Materials?
If your child, student, or a young person you know participated in a “Debate Mate with Thames Water” session before the summer and was given any materials, leaflets, or presentations—we want to know!