| Key functions | Non-tidal river (above Teddington Weir) | Tidal river (London area) | Tidal river (below London to sea) | Central Government | European Union / International |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservancy of River | National Rivers Authority (NRA) | NRA Port of London Authority (PLA) some conservancy duties (oil; floating debris) | Department of the Environment | Ramsar Convention Wetlands of International Importance (UK sites from 1976) EC Fish Directive 1978 (on the Quality of Fresh Waters Needing Protection or Improvement in order to Support Fish Life) EU Birds Directive 1979 (Special Protection Areas) EU Shellfish Directive 1979 Drinking Water Abstraction Directive 1979 EU Drinking Water Directive 1980 EU Groundwater Directive 1980 (see also under Riverside Planning) | |
| Flood Protection | Riparian local authorities National Rivers Authority (NRA) ('main rivers') | Riparian London Boroughs National Rivers Authority (NRA), including Thames Barrier | Riparian local authorities NRA ('main rivers') regions | NRA (under Dept of the Environment) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (MAFF) (Land Drainage & Water Supplies Division) some duties | |
| NRA-run Regional Flood Defence Committees | |||||
| Land Drainage | Local authorities. National Rivers Authority (NRA) ('main rivers') | London Boroughs National Rivers Authority (NRA) ('main rivers') | NRA ('main rivers') and oversight of Internal Drainage Boards (ordinary watercourses), e.g. Lower Medway IDB and Upper Medway IDB | NRA MAFF, Land Drainage & Water Supplies Division | |
| NRA-run Regional Flood Defence Committees | |||||
| Navigation / Pilotage | National Rivers Authority | PLA (including pilotage since 1988) | Dept of Transport | ||
| Pollution Control | NRA | NRA | NRA | Dept of the Environment | |
| Port / Harbour Authority | Not applicable | PLA | Dept of Transport | ||
| Recreation | National Rivers Authority | PLA (River Division) as part of navigation duties | NRA (under Dept of the Environment) | ||
| Riverside Planning | Riparian local authorities | Riparian London Boroughs (x14) Strategic planning: London Planning Advisory Committee (1986-2000) | Riparian local authorities | Dept of the Environment | |
| Note: nature protection sites include (SSSIs) and (AONBs); (NNRs), (LNRs) and (SPAs). In the Greater Thames Estuary e.g. this included the SSSIs at South Thames Estuary and Marshes, Kent (notified in 1951, 1968 and 1984) and Inner Thames Marshes in Essex/Greater London (1986). | Nature Conservancy Council (to 1991); (English Nature from 1991-2006) Responsible to Dept of the Environment | ||||
| Sewerage | Thames Water Utilities Limited (TW) | Thames Water Utilities Limited Anglian Water; Southern Water | Dept of the Environment | ||
| Water Supply | Thames Water Utilities Limited (plus private 'water only' companies under licence from Thames Water) | Thames Water Anglian Water; Southern Water (plus licensed 'water only' companies) | Dept of the Environment Drinking Water Inspectorate (OFWAT economic regulator) | ||