A project that aims to make water from the River Thames drinkable has received royal backing after Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester visited the Kingston embankment.
The programme, carried out by Kingston University, aims to enhance and connect the riverside spaces for the community and future generations and eventually make the water drinkable.
The royal visit follows on from last year, when academics from the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry (LSPC) were invited to contribute to a clean-up of the river as part of the Mayors for a Drinkable Thames Project.
Since then, £45,000 has been secured by the Royal Borough of Kingston (RBK), the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Surfers Against Sewage to monitor the Windsor-Kingston-Richmond corridor.
A further £65,000 was awarded by the Port of London Authority to monitor from Teddington Lock seawards.
James Barker, Professor of Analytical Science at Kingston University, said: “By combining advanced chemical analysis, environmental monitoring and predictive modelling, we aim to identify pollution risks earlier, improve public access to reliable water-quality information and help make the Thames safer for people and wildlife.
“A drinkable Thames is a long-term vision, and this project is an important step towards achieving it.”
The research team in Kingston University’s School of LSPC will carry out analysis of river pollutants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, anti-cancer drugs, microplastics, pathogens and drugs of abuse, as well as monitoring the ecology of the water ecosystem.
The project comes amidst growing public concern about sewage spills and rising bills, with the future of water regulation a hot topic.
Currently, water responsibilities are shared between economic regulator Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, but a recent government-instigated Independent Water Commission Review has proposed a single water regulator in England.
Copyright © 2026 Energy Live News LtdELN