UK’s £5bn ‘super sewer’ tunnel spanning 16 miles finally complete

An epic “super sewer” hailed as a “historic moment in the development of London’s infrastructure” has finally been activated.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel, which has been under construction for a decade, brings 21 connections between the tunnel and the capital’s original Victorian sewers, boosts capacity, as is designed to protect the tidal Thames from sewage pollution.

The sewer network has struggled historically to cope with the combined challenges of climate change and population growth, and has regularly been overwhelmed by rainfall which has caused it to discharge into the Thames, a 215-mile that runs through southern England.

In a press release, Tideway said the fully connected £5billion super sewer is now seeing 95% of the spills being prevented.

Data published on February 14 on sewage prevented from entering the river since it first started connecting the super sewer showed 5,500,000m³ has been up to that point – the equivalent of 2,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

New connections include the starting point of the University Boat Race at Putney Embankment, Chelsea and Victoria Embankments, Blackfriars Bridge, and King Edward Memorial Park in Wapping.

The 16-mile pipe connects with the existing Lee Tunnel, a Thames Water asset which runs from Abbey Mills pumping station to Beckton sewage treatment works, forming the “London Tideway Tunnel” (LTT) system.

Work on the super sewer, which was funded by Thames Water customers, began in 2016.

Thames Water CEO Chris Weston said the project will create “lasting benefits for biodiversity, recreation and public health”.

The tunnel will still need to be tested in storm conditions over the months ahead before the project is fully complete, after which Thames Water take over the operation of the system, as per BBC News.

David Black, CEO of Ofwat, which regulates England and Wales’ water sector said: “This is an historic moment in the development of London’s infrastructure – and we are proud to have worked with partners on the development, oversight and delivery of this scheme.”

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “This is an important milestone, which will mean a huge reduction in sewage going into the tidal Thames.

“We must now build on this work to go further and tackle the other sources of pollution damaging London’s waterways.

“I’m determined to make our rivers cleaner, safer and more accessible so that Londoners can enjoy the benefits of nature as we continue to build a greener and better city for all,” he added.

Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary said the government is “determined to clean up our polluted rivers, lakes and seas – and that includes the capital’s iconic Thames river”.

“The Thames Tideway Tunnel is an example of the kind of infrastructure investment needed to clean up our waterways around the country and builds on this government’s wider ambition to boost national infrastructure under the Plan for Change,” he added.