The £5 billion super sewer project in London is nearing completion after eight years of major construction works. Known as the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the project is designed to tackle the amount of raw sewage flowing into the river. It will divert 34 of the most polluting sewage discharges into the Thames via a 16-mile long pipe. It is expected to capture the vast majority of the sewage flowing into the river, resulting in a cleaner river.
The new super sewer will become operational after the installation of a huge 1,200 tonne concrete lid onto a shaft in east London, which is expected to occur in the coming days. The sewer will mean that instead of flowing into the river, almost all sewage overflows in the center of London will be stored in the tunnel until it can be processed. Initially estimated to cost £4.2 billion, the project has cost around £5 billion which will be paid for by Thames Water customers over several decades, with bills increasing by approximately £25 a year.
The 7.2m wide tunnel flows downhill from Acton to Abbey Mills in east London, and during sustained periods of rainfall, it will fill up with a mixture of raw sewage and stormwater, holding 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools of liquid. The super sewer is considered one of the biggest upgrades to London’s sewer network since it was built by Joseph Bazalgette in the 1860s. Critics, however, question whether the Victorian solution is appropriate for dealing with the damage of climate change.
Theo Thomas from campaign group London Waterkeeper believes that the money should have been spent across the capital on projects that prevent rain from flowing directly into the drains, causing raw sewage to mix with the rain. Tessa Fayers, Thames Water’s operations director for Thames Valley and Home Counties, acknowledged the company’s financial problems, but she argues that Thames Water’s heritage is phenomenal at delivering infrastructure solutions that provide excellent sanitation services to London. Though the super sewer is unlikely to be a permanent solution, the new network will provide London with 50-70 years of respite before alternative solutions come into effect
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More