Olympic medalist calls on government to clean up Thames

Sir Steve Redgrave has voiced his concern over the river pollution.

Transcript

00:00She was very much aware of us as a campaign charity group of putting pressure on.

00:06She talks a very good game.

00:09They have put some measures in already in the short term of the governments.

00:13Governments have been, over the last few generations, have been given licenses to water companies

00:18to be able to pump raw sewage into our waterways, and that's just not acceptable from my point

00:23of view.

00:24And that they can't put on a time where they're going to stop that.

00:28So they have actually put in powers already to put restrictions on bonuses.

00:35How can you give bonuses to water companies and shareholders if you're producing something

00:41very badly?

00:42I'm very much in favour of awarding people for good work, but obviously the work that's

00:48happening with our water companies isn't good, and they're being rewarded from that.

00:53We need to spin that around and make sure they do.

00:56Sir Steve delivers a letter directly to the Environment Secretary, which stressed the

01:03need to combat contamination of the River Thames.

01:07The five-times gold medalist called for an end to, quote-unquote, pollution for profit

01:14by water companies, and argued for firm action against Thames water to ensure it cleans up

01:21its infrastructure.

01:23This, of course, all comes days after the Mayor announced his plans to clean up the

01:29waterways in London, devoting over £7 million to the cause.

01:36Thames Water has also suggested they will be devoting £1.8 billion to improve river

01:43health in London.

01:44However, Thames Water, which has of course come under fire for many of its environmental

01:51practices, continues to face complete financial turmoil, even after that approval earlier

01:58this month for a £3 billion loan.

02:02So Emma's talking a really good role of how they're going to put the water companies

02:09into the infrastructure that they've been released the money to be able to improve.

02:14What I want to see is action, and she's promised me that she's going to come up with a timeline

02:20of where this infrastructure's going to be so we can hold the government to task, but

02:26also the government can hold the water companies to task as well.