Thames Tideway Scheme
Encyclopedia
The Thames Tideway Scheme 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 it flows through London
.
The project has been devised by the Thames Tideway Study Group, which comprises Thames Water
, the Environment Agency
, DEFRA
and the Greater London Authority
, building on ideas for a combined sewer overflow tunnel first proposed by Thames Water in the early 1990s.
Proposed is a storage-and-transfer tunnel
with an internal diameter of 7.2 m, 22 miles (35 km) long, mostly under the riverbed of the Thames between Hammersmith
in the west and Beckton
/Crossness
in the east. the cost of this megaproject
was estimated at £3.6 billion in 2011.
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
.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
project intended to improve the capacity of London’s sewerage system
London sewerage system
The London sewerage system is part of the water infrastructure serving London. The modern system was developed during the late 19th century, and as London has grown the system has been expanded.-History:...
and prevent sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
overflows into the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
on the Tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
where it flows through London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The project has been devised by the Thames Tideway Study Group, which comprises Thames Water
Thames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
, the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
, DEFRA
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
and the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
, building on ideas for a combined sewer overflow tunnel first proposed by Thames Water in the early 1990s.
Proposed is a storage-and-transfer tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
with an internal diameter of 7.2 m, 22 miles (35 km) long, mostly under the riverbed of the Thames between Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
in the west and Beckton
Beckton
Beckton is part of the London Borough of Newham, England, located east of Charing Cross.Its boundaries are the A13 trunk road to the north, Barking Creek to the east, the Royal Docks to the south, and Prince Regent Lane to the west. The area around Prince Regent Lane is also known as Custom House...
/Crossness
Crossness
Crossness is a place in south-east London. It is situated in the London Borough of Bexley, close to the southern bank of the River Thames, to the east of Thamesmead, west of Belvedere and north-west of Erith. The place takes its name from Cross Ness, a specific promontory on the southern bank of...
in the east. the cost of this megaproject
Megaproject
A megaproject is an extremely large-scale investment project. Megaprojects are typically defined as costing more than US$1 billion and attracting a lot of public attention because of substantial impacts on communities, environment, and budgets. Megaprojects can also be defined as "initiatives that...
was estimated at £3.6 billion in 2011.
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
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
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
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
at nearby Stratford
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
.