1100 years ago King Athelstan was crowned King of a newly unified England at Kingston on the River Thames. In the 900’s the river marked the divide between Wessex and Mercia. As part of the celebrations the Water Conservators and our cutter Water Forget-me-not joined with other Livery cutters and…...
Save the date – City Water Debate – Wednesday 18 March 2026 – WATER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, TOO LITTLE SUPPLY, TOO MUCH DEMAND
The UK is running out of water. Population and economic growth combined with climate change mean that consumption is increasingly outstripping supply. We are already abstracting more water from the environment than is sustainable. In England alone the Environment Agency has estimated that there will be shortfall of five billion…...
Bursary and Dissertation Prize Winners
Past Master and Trustee, Professor Martin Bigg, was invited on behalf of the Water Conservation Trust, to Clare College, Cambridge, for the MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, Annual End of Course and Alumni Dinner. It is 23 years since the first cohort of students came to Cambridge to begin…...
Response to Cunliffe Report
Picture courtesy of the BBC Following the publication of the report of the Independent Water Commission chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe this morning, Professor Carolyn Roberts, Master of the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators, issued the following statement in a personal capacity: The Cunliffe Report is perhaps the most important…...
Report of the Independent Water Commission chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe
The Report from the Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, has been publised and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/roadmap-to-rebuild-trust-in-water-sector-unveiled-in-major-new-report The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators contributed to the work of the Commission. The full report is available here: Independent Water Commission final report The Government response is available here:…...
Revisiting Bioresources: A Renewed Commitment to Sustainable Innovation
Last week, Past Master Peter Matthews attended the NWG Innovation Festival in Newcastle as a panellist in the Bioresources Dragons’ Den, at the invitation of AtkinsRéalis. The event provided him with an opportunity to speak about the work of the Water Conservators. The discussions, together with recent Guardian articles, have…...
Swan Upping
Water Conservators joined the Caversham Princess at Reading for the annual cygnet count on the River Thames known as ‘Swan Upping’. Swan Upping is an annual ceremony that these days involves catching, counting, examining, weighing and ringing mute swan cygnets, primarily to assess their population and health. Dating back to…...
Honouring a 12th Century Legacy with a 21st Century Toast
On 16th July 2025, The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators had the honour of meeting The Rt Hon. the Lord Mayor Alastair King and Lady Mayoress Florence King at Mansion House. Master Water Conservator, Professor Carolyn Roberts, joined by Thames Warden Tom Flood CBE, Walbrook Warden Allan Barton, and Our…...
