The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Islington Council met on 24 February 2026 to discuss the operations of Thames Water within the borough. The meeting's agenda focused on scrutinising Thames Water's customer service, investment plans, mains replacement programmes, and its response to major incidents.

Scrutiny of Thames Water's Operations in Islington

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise the work of Thames Water in Islington. This included a review of the company's customer service, with information provided on their social tariffs, which supported 70,000 customers in 2025, and the Priority Services Register (PSR). The PSR is designed to assist vulnerable customers, including those with disabilities, chronic health conditions, mobility constraints, those of pensionable age, families with young children, individuals with mental health challenges, and those who are blind, deaf, or partially sighted. Services offered through the PSR include accessible billing, emergency contact designation, security measures for staff visits, dedicated support lines, and emergency bottled water for those unable to leave their homes due to medical needs.

Thames Water's investment plans were also on the agenda, with details on their annual price rise for 2026/27. This included a typical dual service price increase of 3.5% for unmeasured customers, 3.3% for assessed household charge customers, and 3.4% for metered customers, resulting in an average increase of £2 per month for typical water and wastewater customers.

A significant portion of the discussion was expected to cover mains replacement. Thames Water outlined its commitment to replacing 550km of mains across the AMP8 period (2025-2030), a substantial increase from the 220km replaced in the previous AMP (2020-2025). The company also indicated plans to replace 50km of larger trunk pipes. Specifically for Islington, approximately 60km of pipe replacement was planned. However, challenges were noted, including the proximity of planned works to existing schemes on Pentonville Road, the need for careful planning on roads such as Upper Street and Essex Road, and engagement with the Highways team for works on Highbury Grove.

Funding pressures were also highlighted, with a noted discrepancy between Thames Water's estimated cost of pipe replacement in London (£1,642/m) and Ofwat's view (£1,180/m). The company stated a need to focus on projects with the lowest external costs to ensure customer value. Areas where local authorities can support include parking bay suspensions, lane rental charges, road closures, and working hour restrictions.

The report pack also detailed specific incidents. The replacement of a significant section of Trunk Main on Pentonville Road was described as a complex project involving a temporary overland pipe, with an investment of £50m expected to be completed by winter 2027. An Islington Council representative was quoted as praising this work as excellent collaboration that sets the standard for future co-operation to avoid disruption for residents. ¹

The committee was also to review the aftermath of a mains burst on Canonbury Road on 10 August 2025, which caused internal flooding to 20 properties and two vehicles. The report detailed the response, including liaison with the London Fire Brigade and Islington Council, the closure of Canonbury Road, and the provision of accommodation and drying services for affected residents.

Finally, the report pack included information on adverse weather incidents between 5 and 25 January 2026, which led to a high number of mains bursts and leaks across London. Thames Water reported completing 1,186 burst main repairs and attending to 9,724 technician call-outs during this period.