Thames water can pose health risks, research finds
The results of tests conducted over a period of almost two years have confirmed that levels of bacteria and viruses in Thames river water after bouts of heavy rain exceed recommended safety levels.
Although in recent years the Thames had gained a reputation for being one of cleanest rivers in Europe, the research found that discharges of untreated sewage into the river after bad weather was putting river users including rowers, canoeists and anglers, at risk of gastro-enteritis and other water-borne infections.
Although none of the water events in the 2012 Olympics is being held on tidal parts of the Thames, the event is expected to be a major impetus in cleaning up London's act, including a revamp of London's sewers. It has been suggested that regular users of the waterway could have built up an immunity to its germs, but that newcomers, including the tourists the Olympics is expected to bring to the area, would not have such immunity.
It was discovered that the increase in pollution was found for as long as three or four days after heavy rain, much longer than previously thought, and given that such heavy downpours seem set to increase in frequency with climate change, the system needs tightening up to cope.
