Thames Tideway Tunnel: Difference between revisions
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| title = [[Thames Water]] |
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| group1 = History |
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The project has been devised by the Thames Tideway Study Group, which comprises [[Thames Water]], the [[Environment Agency]], [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|DEFRA]] and the [[Greater London Authority]], building on ideas for a combined sewer overflow tunnel first proposed by Thames Water in the early 1990s. |
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| list1 = [[Metropolitan Board of Works]]{{·}} [[London sewerage system]]{{·}} [[The Great Stink]]{{·}} [[Joseph Bazalgette]]{{·}} [[Thames Water Ring Main|Ring Main]] |
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| group2 = Major projects |
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| ⚫ | Proposals include a wide diameter storage-and-transfer [[tunnel]] (internal diameters of 7.2 m and 9 m have been suggested), 22 miles (35 km) long, underneath the riverbed of the Thames between [[Hammersmith]] in the west and [[Beckton]]/[[Crossness]] in the east,<ref>[http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xbcr/SID-F980124C-18B30343/corp/tideway-strategic-study-strategic-study-executive-summary-feb-2005.pdf 10140 - Thames Tideway Executive Summary.indd<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,12188,1189356,00.html £2bn tunnel to carry sewage under Thames | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> but as the cost of such a [[megaproject]] is likely to be substantial (estimated at £1.7 billion in 2004), no firm investment decisions have yet been made. |
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| list2 = [[Victorian mains replacement]]{{·}} [[Thames Tideway Scheme|London Tideway Tunnels]]{{·}} [[Ring Main extensions]] |
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| ⚫ | The '''Thames Tideway Scheme''', recently entitled the '''London Tideway Tunnels''' is an infrastructure project intended to improve the capacity of [[London sewerage system|London’s sewerage system]] and prevent [[sewage]] overflows into the [[River Thames]] on the [[Tideway]] where flows through [[London]]. |
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== Background == |
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London has a 'combined' sewerage system, which was masterminded by Victorian engineer [[Joseph Bazalgette]] following the 'Great Stink' of London of 1858. At that time, the River Thames was effectively 'dead', but is now very much alive after many decades of clean up. The system was designed to overflow into the River Thames during periods of heavy rainfall to prevent sewage from backing up and flooding streets and buildings. Today the overflows are happening much more frequently - on average more than once a week. Annually 32 million cubic metres of diluted sewage is discharged, enough to fill the [[Millennium Dome]] almost 15 times <ref>[http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/corp/hs.xsl/6070.htm| Thames Water website - London Tideway Tunnels - Background]</ref>. |
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'''Background study and proposals'''<br/> |
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London's population has grown dramatically since Bazalgette's day and continues to rise. An increase in paved areas means there is less space available to soak up rainfall, which has also increased the amount of rainwater run-off entering the sewers. |
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<br/><br/> |
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In 2000, the Thames Tideway Strategic Study (TTSS) was set up to consider the environmental impact of storm discharges to the tidal River Thames and to propose potential solutions that would comply with the EC Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. |
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[[Thames Water]], the [[Environment Agency]], the [[Greater London Authority]], [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Defra]] and Ofwat (as an observer), all contributed to the study, chaired independently by Engineering Consultant, Professor Chris Binnie <ref>[http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/corp/hs.xsl/6070.htm| Thames Water website - London Tideway Tunnels - Background]</ref>. |
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<br/><br/> |
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| ⚫ | Proposals include a wide diameter storage-and-transfer [[tunnel]] (internal diameters of 7.2 m and 9 m have been suggested), 22 miles (35 km) long, underneath the riverbed of the Thames between [[Hammersmith]] in the west and [[Beckton]]/[[Crossness]] in the east,<ref>[http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xbcr/SID-F980124C-18B30343/corp/tideway-strategic-study-strategic-study-executive-summary-feb-2005.pdf 10140 - Thames Tideway Executive Summary.indd<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,12188,1189356,00.html £2bn tunnel to carry sewage under Thames | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> but as the cost of such a [[megaproject]] is likely to be substantial (estimated at £1.7 billion in 2004), no firm investment decisions have yet been made. |
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<br/><br/> |
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As design and construction of such a tunnel would also take an estimated 15 years, a shorter-term (and slightly lower cost) interim solution has also been developed. This £1.6 billion (2006 prices) involves two shorter tunnels, one taking storm water from Hammersmith to [[Battersea]] for treatment or storage, the other carrying water from [[Abbey Mills Pumping Stations|Abbey Mills]] south to the river at Beckton, and improvements to associated treatment facilities. The Abbey Mills scheme would also reduce the likelihood of sewage overflows marring the staging of the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] at nearby [[Stratford, London|Stratford]]. |
As design and construction of such a tunnel would also take an estimated 15 years, a shorter-term (and slightly lower cost) interim solution has also been developed. This £1.6 billion (2006 prices) involves two shorter tunnels, one taking storm water from Hammersmith to [[Battersea]] for treatment or storage, the other carrying water from [[Abbey Mills Pumping Stations|Abbey Mills]] south to the river at Beckton, and improvements to associated treatment facilities. The Abbey Mills scheme would also reduce the likelihood of sewage overflows marring the staging of the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] at nearby [[Stratford, London|Stratford]]. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/corp/hs.xsl/2833.htm| Thames Water website - London Tideway Tunnels] |
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*[http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/health_ps/2004/healthps14sep/minutes/healthps14sepappb.pdf Thames Tideway Executive Summary] |
*[http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/health_ps/2004/healthps14sep/minutes/healthps14sepappb.pdf Thames Tideway Executive Summary] |
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*[http://flyvbjerg.plan.aau.dk/whatisamegaproject.php What is a megaproject?] |
*[http://flyvbjerg.plan.aau.dk/whatisamegaproject.php What is a megaproject?] |
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Revision as of 14:58, 15 March 2009
The Thames Tideway Scheme, recently entitled the London Tideway Tunnels is an infrastructure project intended to improve the capacity of London’s sewerage system and prevent sewage overflows into the River Thames on the Tideway where flows through London.
Background
London has a 'combined' sewerage system, which was masterminded by Victorian engineer Joseph Bazalgette following the 'Great Stink' of London of 1858. At that time, the River Thames was effectively 'dead', but is now very much alive after many decades of clean up. The system was designed to overflow into the River Thames during periods of heavy rainfall to prevent sewage from backing up and flooding streets and buildings. Today the overflows are happening much more frequently - on average more than once a week. Annually 32 million cubic metres of diluted sewage is discharged, enough to fill the Millennium Dome almost 15 times [1].
Background study and proposals
London's population has grown dramatically since Bazalgette's day and continues to rise. An increase in paved areas means there is less space available to soak up rainfall, which has also increased the amount of rainwater run-off entering the sewers.
In 2000, the Thames Tideway Strategic Study (TTSS) was set up to consider the environmental impact of storm discharges to the tidal River Thames and to propose potential solutions that would comply with the EC Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
Thames Water, the Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority, Defra and Ofwat (as an observer), all contributed to the study, chaired independently by Engineering Consultant, Professor Chris Binnie [2].
Proposals include a wide diameter storage-and-transfer tunnel (internal diameters of 7.2 m and 9 m have been suggested), 22 miles (35 km) long, underneath the riverbed of the Thames between Hammersmith in the west and Beckton/Crossness in the east,[3][4] but as the cost of such a megaproject is likely to be substantial (estimated at £1.7 billion in 2004), no firm investment decisions have yet been made.
As design and construction of such a tunnel would also take an estimated 15 years, a shorter-term (and slightly lower cost) interim solution has also been developed. This £1.6 billion (2006 prices) involves two shorter tunnels, one taking storm water from Hammersmith to Battersea for treatment or storage, the other carrying water from Abbey Mills south to the river at Beckton, and improvements to associated treatment facilities. The Abbey Mills scheme would also reduce the likelihood of sewage overflows marring the staging of the 2012 Summer Olympics at nearby Stratford.
References
External links
- Thames Water website - London Tideway Tunnels
- Thames Tideway Executive Summary
- What is a megaproject?
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