In October 2018, the Evening Standard reported that Thames Water was planning Britain's first facility to turn treated sewage back into drinking water, sited at its Deephams sewage works close to Edmonton in north-east London. Costing £160 million and intended for drought periods, it would treat sewage effluent with a desalination membrane and add 45,000 m³/day to supply. The utility projected a gap of 351,000 m³/day within just over 25 years. Its Beckton desalination plant could already produce up to 150,000 m³/day during drought.
The report showed membrane technology from desalination being considered for urban wastewater reuse, as one element of long-range planning against drought risk in a major city.
Source: Evening Standard