Eau de Thames: Beckton desalination plant for drinking water comes back on stream – London, UK

A hosepipe ban introduced by Thames Water in August, banning its 15m customers from watering gardens or washing cars as it sought to conserve supplies after this summer’s record 40C temperatures, remains in place.

Ms Bentley said the desalination plant was only planned as a “swing site” for intermittent use, able to supply 100 mega-litres a day – five per cent of the capital’s needs.

She told the Standard: “It was operational in time for the Olympics. It’s been operated three times – it was never built as a permanent site. “Because [
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