The founder of a charity that campaigns to make rivers around the world 'drinkable' stopped to meet the Tideway team during a 350km walk from the Thames's source in the Cotsworlds to its mouth in the North Sea. 

Li An Phoa and Maarten van der Schaaf (from the organisation Drinkable Rivers) met last week with Tideway's Legacy and Sustainability Manager, Samantha Freelove, and Bruno Guillaume, Environmental Lead on the central section of the super sewer project. 

The team shared details of the progress being made on the project, which will dramatically improve the health of the River Thames for generations to come. The system is due to begin testing next year, protecting the Thames for the first time. 

Along the way, Li An and Maarten have been engaging with local people, school children, farmers, fishermen, teachers, rowers, journalists, politicians, environmentalists and many more to discuss their passion for healthy rivers.

Samantha said: “Li An and Maarten’s pilgrimage from source to sea of the River Thames to raise awareness of river pollution is inspirational. Along their walk they have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and have used individual’s frustrations about river pollution to unite and galvanise action.

"It was our pleasure to welcome them to Tideway and talk to them about the approach we are taking to create a cleaner, healthier River Thames."

The charity proposes to use drinkable rivers as a guiding principle for our societies and as a replacement of economic growth – asking the simple question: "Does this behaviour, this measure, or this innovation contribute to drinkable rivers?" 

Read more about the charity's story here.