Mainland UK's first-ever desalination plant was opened on the 2nd of June to provide "seriously water-stressed" London with a much-needed back-up supply to use in the event of a drought.

Powered by renewable energy, the Thames Gateway Water Treatment Works, at Beckton in east London, will, when required, turn a mixture of seawater and river water from the tidal River Thames into high-quality drinking water for up to one million Londoners.

The capital is classed by the Environment Agency as "seriously water-stressed", which means that demand could outpace supply in a long dry period.

With climate change threatening hotter, drier summers and an additional 700,000 people forecast to move to London by 2021, the new water works will be available to help provide the capital's supplies for the future - whatever the weather.

The key treatment process in desalination is reverse osmosis, which involves forcing salty water through extremely fine membranes. This tried-and-tested technology is used at 14,000 water treatment plants across the world and has kept crews on Royal Navy ships refreshed for decades.

The works will only take in water on the outgoing tide, when it is a third as salty as normal seawater and so requires less energy to treat it. Martin Baggs, Thames Water's Chief Executive, said:

"People may wonder why we're equipping 'rainy' London with a desalination plant, something more often associated with the Middle East, southern Europe or ocean-going liners. But the fact is, London isn't as rainy as you might think - it gets about half as much rain as Sydney, and less than Dallas or Istanbul. Water is an increasingly precious resource that we can no longer take for granted.

"Our existing resources - from non-tidal rivers and groundwater - simply aren't enough to match predicted demand in London. That's why we're tapping into the new and limitless resource of the tidal Thames, fed by the rolling oceans beyond, so we can ensure our 8.5 million customers have enough water in future in the event of a drought.

"This new works is a major advance in desalination technology and in UK water resource management. Running it on biodiesel, derived from materials including used cooking oil, will also help us tread as lightly as possible on the environment, on which our core business depends."

David Bland, Chairman of the Consumer Council for Water's London and South East region, said:

"Notwithstanding the obvious cost of building and running the plant, CCWater warmly welcomes the opening of the Thames Gateway Water Treatment Works. The security of the water supply for all users - in all circumstances - is our absolute over riding priority, and this plant will contribute significantly to that assurance at times of the greatest risk to supplies."

Thames Water supplies its 8.5 million drinking water customers across London and the Thames Valley with 2,600 Mld (million litres of water a day). The new works is able to produce 150 Mld when needed, enough to supply 400,000 homes (one million people). But its water will be blended with other supplies, so up to 580,000 properties in northeast London (1.4 million people) will potentially receive it in varying proportions. And because London's water supply is connected by a Ring Main, the benefits will be felt across London.

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The pureshowers team

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