Sevenoaks MP Sir Michael Fallon has this week criticised Thames Water’s abstraction from the River Darent and called on the company to make a much firmer commitment to reducing chalk stream abstraction.
The River Darent already provides water for hundreds of homes in the Darenth Valley and will face further challenges if new homes are built in the area.
Sir Michael said: “Thames Water must commit to stopping abstraction that impacts on vulnerable chalk streams in order to ensure the Darent’s survival. The Darent is being sucked dry to provide water for London which wouldn’t be needed if Thames did much more to tackle leakage.”