Court of Appeal upholds Thames Water’s £3 billion rescue plan – “This decision is a disaster for Thames Water bill payers and the environment”

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Court of Appeal has decided to uphold Thames Water’s £3 billion rescue plan. This is a devastating blow to both the River Thames and its millions of customers. Instead of prioritising urgent investment in tackling pollution and infrastructure failures, this bailout will see a third of bill increases swallowed by massive interest payments, as highlighted by River Action’s CEO, James Wallace:

“Customers will now have to pay the price for the failing water company with about a third of their increased water bills paying for massive interest payments while our rivers remain choked with sewage”

WHY WAS THIS RULING IMPORTANT?

Sewage continues to pour into our rivers, and Thames Water customers are left footing the bill for a broken, profit-driven system that has failed to deliver the basic services they pay for. This ruling effectively rewards financial mismanagement while leaving our waterways in crisis.

“This is not just about managing a crisis; it’s about fixing a broken system that has allowed private companies to profit at the expense of public well-being.”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

River Action believes the Government must immediately place Thames Water into Special Administration to prevent further financial and environmental harm. Instead of propping up an unsustainable model, the independent Water Commission must propose a governance and financial framework that puts people and the environment first. This is not just about rescuing a single company, it’s about ending a system that has allowed private firms to profit while rivers die and communities suffer.

“Maintaining the status quo will only perpetuate this corporate takeover of the lifeblood of our economy and land. The government can and should step in now”