Report on London’s Water Infrastructure and Sustainable Development Goal Alignment

Executive Summary

An evaluation of London’s water management strategies reveals significant challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Current and proposed infrastructure projects by Thames Water, including the Thames Gateway Desalination Plant and the Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) scheme, demonstrate considerable financial, operational, and environmental inefficiencies. These issues undermine progress towards SDG 9 (Resilient Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), while posing risks to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Analysis of the Thames Gateway Desalination Plant

The performance of the Thames Gateway desalination plant at Beckton represents a failure in sustainable infrastructure investment, directly contravening the principles of SDG 9 and SDG 12.

• Financial Inefficiency: The total cost since 2010 has exceeded £518 million, comprising a £270 million construction cost, £200 million in debt interest, £45 million in idle upkeep, and £3 million in operating costs.
• Operational Underperformance: The plant has operated only five times, producing 7.2 billion litres of water, equivalent to just seven days of London’s typical demand. This equates to a cost of approximately 7p per litre, 28 times the standard customer rate.
• Health and Safety Failures: The plant has been beset by system failures and chemical leaks, preventing ongoing operation and raising concerns about workplace safety, a key component of decent work (SDG 8).
• Current Status: The plant is currently unavailable due to maintenance, safety works, and pending regulatory approval, highlighting its lack of resilience as a critical infrastructure asset for achieving SDG 11.

Proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) Scheme

Thames Water’s proposed TDRA scheme, intended to enhance drought resilience in line with SDG 13 (Climate Action), raises further questions regarding its alignment with SDG 6, particularly target 6.6 concerning the protection of water-related ecosystems.

1. Project Outline: The scheme involves abstracting up to 75 million litres of water per day from the River Thames at Teddington and replacing it with treated effluent from the Mogden sewage works.
2. Projected Cost: The estimated cost ranges from £359 million to £535 million, which will be financed by customers, impacting the affordability of water (SDG 6.1).
3. Environmental Concerns: Critics argue the project will degrade the river’s water quality by replacing cleaner upstream water with treated effluent, potentially harming aquatic ecosystems and contravening goals to protect life below water (SDG 14).

Environmental and Ecosystem Impacts: Contradiction with SDGs 14 & 15

Both projects present significant environmental challenges that conflict with the goal of protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems.

• Desalination Plant Discharges: The Beckton plant is energy-intensive, contributing to climate change (SDG 13), and discharges brine, chlorine, chloroform, and bromoform into the Thames.
• TDRA Ecosystem Risk: The proposed water replacement strategy for the TDRA scheme poses a direct threat to the health of the River Thames. This could negatively impact biodiversity, including endangered species like the Atlantic salmon, undermining efforts related to SDG 15.
• Systemic Water Stress: The continued exploitation of river systems, coupled with significant daily water loss (570.4 million litres) through leaks, demonstrates a failure in responsible water resource management (SDG 6.4).

Conclusion: A Call for Sustainable and Responsible Water Management

The case of London’s water infrastructure highlights a critical disconnect between large-scale engineering projects and the integrated principles of the Sustainable Development Goals. The high cost and low output of the desalination plant, combined with the environmental risks of the proposed TDRA scheme, underscore a need for a strategic shift. Achieving SDG 6 requires a holistic approach that prioritizes:

• Investment in Efficiency: Aggressively tackling water leakage to reduce overall demand, aligning with SDG 12.
• Sustainable Infrastructure: Developing solutions that are financially viable, operationally resilient, and environmentally sound, in line with SDG 9.
• Ecosystem Protection: Ensuring that all water management strategies protect and enhance the health of river ecosystems, as mandated by SDG 6.6, SDG 14, and SDG 15.

Without a fundamental re-evaluation of its strategy, Thames Water’s current path risks creating further costly, inefficient, and environmentally damaging projects, failing both the public and the imperative for sustainable development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues

   The article highlights several issues related to water management, infrastructure, and environmental impact in London, which connect to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

   • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

     This is the most central SDG in the article. The text revolves around ensuring a stable supply of drinking water for London, tackling drought, the quality of water being returned to the Thames, and the management of water resources. The discussion of the desalination plant and the new Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) scheme are direct efforts to manage water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

     The article focuses on large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the £518m Thames Gateway desalination plant and the planned £500m TDRA scheme. It critiques the reliability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of this infrastructure, mentioning that the desalination plant “doesn’t work the way we expected it to” and has been “beset with big problems.”

   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

     The issues discussed are specific to securing the water supply for London, a major city. The goal is to make the city’s water system resilient to disasters like drought. The article notes that without action, “England faces a shortfall of 5bn litres a day for public water supplies by 2055,” with half of that shortfall in the south-east, directly impacting urban sustainability.

   • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

     The article touches on the inefficiency of the current water system. The desalination plant is described as “energy intensive,” and Thames Water’s significant water loss of “570.4m litres a day through leaks” points to unsustainable production and distribution patterns for a vital natural resource.

   • SDG 14: Life Below Water

     The environmental impact of the water schemes on the River Thames is a key concern. The article mentions that the desalination plant discharges “effluent containing chlorine, chloroform and bromoform” and the new TDRA scheme involves putting “dirtier water back in.” This raises concerns about water pollution and its effect on aquatic ecosystems, highlighted by the warning that the “toxic mix of drought on already stressed river systems is pushing iconic species like the endangered Atlantic salmon closer to extinction.”

2. Specific Targets Identified

   Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water

     The article discusses the high cost of the desalination plant, which produced water at “28 times more than customers usually pay,” raising questions about affordability. The new TDRA scheme, which “will be paid for by customers,” also relates to the economic accessibility of water.

   • Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution

     This target is addressed by the concerns over the discharge of pollutants. The desalination plant releases “chlorine, chloroform and bromoform,” and the TDRA scheme is criticized for replacing clean river water with “treated effluent,” which a source calls “dirtier water.”

   • Target 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals

     The article directly addresses water scarcity and efficiency. The discussion of tackling “drought,” the projected “shortfall of 5bn litres a day,” and the massive water loss from “leaks” (570.4m litres a day) all relate to the need for more efficient and sustainable water management.

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure

     The core of the article is a critique of water infrastructure. The desalination plant is described as unreliable, having “run only five times” due to “system failures” and “health and safety issues.” The debate over the new TDRA scheme is about developing resilient infrastructure to secure supplies “during drought.”

   • Target 11.5: Reduce the number of people affected by disasters, including water-related disasters

     The entire rationale for the new projects is to build “drought-resilience” and secure water supplies “during very dry conditions.” This directly aligns with the goal of mitigating the impact of water-related disasters like droughts on a large urban population.

   • Target 14.1: Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities

     The discharge of chemical byproducts and treated effluent from the water plants into the Thames, which flows to the sea, is a form of land-based pollution affecting an aquatic ecosystem. The article’s concern for “the health of our rivers” and the impact on species like the Atlantic salmon connects directly to this target.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   The article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

   • Indicator for Target 6.1 (Affordability and Access):

     Cost of water production: The article states the desalinated water costs “about 7p for every litre,” which is “28 times more than customers usually pay.” This is a direct measure of the affordability of this water source.

     Volume of water supplied: The plant has delivered “7.2bn litres of drinking water,” and the new schemes aim to provide “50m litres of water a day” and “75Ml/d during drought periods,” indicating the volume of accessible water.

   • Indicator for Target 6.3 (Water Quality):

     Presence of pollutants: The mention of “chlorine, chloroform and bromoform” in the effluent implies that the concentration of these chemicals is a measurable indicator of water quality degradation.

   • Indicator for Target 6.4 (Water-Use Efficiency):

     Volume of non-revenue water (leaks): The figure “570.4m litres a day” lost through leaks is a direct indicator of inefficiency in the water distribution system.

     Projected water deficit: The national “shortfall of 5bn litres a day by 2055” serves as an indicator of water stress and the urgency for efficiency measures.

   • Indicator for Target 9.1 (Infrastructure Reliability and Investment):

     Operational frequency: The fact that the plant has “run only five times” since 2010 is a qualitative indicator of its unreliability.

     Investment in infrastructure: The costs mentioned—”£270m” to build the plant, a “£518m” lifetime bill, and an estimated “£359-£535m” for the new scheme—are financial indicators of investment in water infrastructure.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
   SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water.	Cost of water: “28 times more than customers usually pay.” Volume of water supplied: “7.2bn litres” over 15 years; planned “75Ml/d during drought.”
   	6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution.	Pollutants discharged: “effluent containing chlorine, chloroform and bromoform.” Quality of replacement water: described as “dirtier water.”
   	6.4: Increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals.	Volume of water lost to leaks: “570.4m litres a day.” Projected water shortfall: “5bn litres a day by 2055.”
   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure.	Infrastructure cost: “£518m” lifetime bill for the plant; “£359-£535m” for the new scheme. Infrastructure reliability: Plant has “run only five times” and is beset by “system failures.”
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.5: Reduce the number of people affected by water-related disasters.	Stated purpose of projects: To tackle “drought” and provide supply “during very dry conditions.”
   SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production	12.2: Achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.	Energy intensity of production: Desalination plant is “energy intensive.” Inefficiency in distribution: “Thames Water lost 570.4m litres a day through leaks.”
   SDG 14: Life Below Water	14.1: Prevent and reduce marine pollution from land-based activities.	Impact on species: Pushing “endangered Atlantic salmon closer to extinction.” Discharge of pollutants into the river system.

Source: theguardian.com