London’s super sewer getting ready for testing to protect the River Thames from pollution
The team behind London’s super sewer is getting ready to start commissioning one of the UK’s largest new infrastructure projects.
The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a 25km tunnel which has been constructed up to 67m below London from Acton in the west to Stratford in the east and once complete, will prevent around 95% of the sewage pollution that currently spills directly into the River Thames.
With the construction of the heavy engineering nearing completion, the system is due to start to be tested and commissioned later this year and will take away flows of polluting sewage into the tunnel to protect the river for the first time.
As well as protecting the waterway from pollution, the Tideway project has created seven new pieces of public space along the river for the public to enjoy views of London with mini parks built over the top of where the tunnel access points will be.
Adrian Telford, Tideway’s project manager for the site at Victoria Embankment in central London, said: “We’re really proud to be finishing off the underground works for the super sewer and our sites along the route will now be able to capture flows and release the sewage into the tunnel, protecting the River Thames from this pollution.
“Getting the first flows into the tunnel not only marks the start of a cleaner river, but also gets us even closer to being able to open up the new areas of public space where you can get never-before-seen views of London and really embrace the riverside here in the city.”
Clare Donnelly, Tideway’s lead architect, said: “The new areas of public spaces that have been created on the Tideway project are really starting to take shape and demonstrate the high-quality of spaces we’ll be leaving behind for London. It’s around three acres of new land in total, all carefully designed to be both accessible and beautiful.”
The project is due to be fully complete in 2025. For more information, visit www.tideway.london
Notes to editors:
Putney Embankment was the first new public space created by Tideway and was opened in September 2023. See more here.
Images of Putney Embankment are available on Tideway’s Flickr account here.
The cost of the project is £4.5bn. The cost impact on water bills remains within the original estimated range of £20-25 per year, set in 2015.
