We smashed through the previous Change.org petition milestone which had 30,000 signatures to challenge flawed water infrastructure schemes. Now, we have taken that fight directly to the heart of government with an official parliamentary e-petition, and we have already passed 45,000 signatures! While hitting our initial government milestones meant securing an official response, our ultimate …
Pressure is mounting against Thames Water’s controversial Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) scheme. Both the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames have formally stepped up to oppose the project, calling out the heavy construction gridlock, environmental risks, and the threat to our cherished riverside green spaces. Its …
Councils Push Back on TDRA: Now It’s Our Turn to Force a Parliamentary Debate Read More »
We are making incredible progress in the fight to protect our waterways, but we need your help to keep the pressure on. SOLAR’s official parliamentary petition, titled “Ensure new sewage treatment infrastructure meets higher standards, as in the EU”, is surging. We are now nearly a third of the way to our 100,000 target, a …
SOLAR has written jointly to the Leaders and key councillors of Richmond and Kingston Councils, urging them to issue a formal joint statement challenging Thames Water’s proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) scheme. In the letter, SOLAR argues that newly identified financial evidence calls into question Thames Water’s long-standing claim that TDRA represents a low-cost, …
We at Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR) have issued formal challenges to the integrity of the Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) project’s “Best Value” selection process. Our campaign has identified a fundamental mathematical flaw that has been used to misrepresent the TDRA as a “bargain” option. While the project is marketed as having an …
Why Thames Water’s “Bargain” Project Is Actually the Most Expensive in the Country Read More »
Thames Water has quietly expanded its proposed Teddington scheme and it’s now far bigger, longer, and more damaging than first presented. The latest plans include: Read our press release on the changes here. It’s important to remember, this expansion of destruction comes at a time when this stretch of the Thames has been recognised as …
1st May 2026 is a critical milestone in the Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR) campaign as our parliamentary e-petition was been formally published. We now have an opportunity to demand national change and stop harmful, outdated sewage schemes like the Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) once and for all. We need your signature, and …
We were delighted to see that the Government has officially announced that a stretch of the River Thames at Ham and Kingston is being designated for Public Bathing Status. This is a historic milestone. If approved, this would become the first-ever official river bathing site in London. What This Means for Us Designation isn’t just …
Ham and Kingston Proposed for Official Bathing Status! Read More »
In the final weeks of 2025, as local communities awaited detailed feedback from Thames Water’s recent statutory consultation, the Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR) campaign shifted its focus to the highest levels of government. The campaign’s efforts are now centered on ensuring DEFRA are fully appraised of the risks and public opposition surrounding the …
SOLAR CHALLENGES THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS. Read More »
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 …
Thames Water’s Secret Classroom: What Did They Teach Our Kids? Read More »
