Following a two-week program of vital work by Tideway and Thames Water, London’s new super sewer has been linked to the existing network.
Connecting Abbey Mills Pumping Station to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, a thick wall separated the 25km super sewer from the 6.9km Lee Tunnel. Currently the two tunnels are connected for the first time, creating the London Tideway Tunnels network and paving the way for the new system to become operational.
During the process of removing the 1.5m-thick wall at Abbey Mills Pumping Station by Tideway team, a team from Thames Water worked at the eastern end at Beckton, constructing a new weir wall.
Including individual combined sewage overflows being connected to the new tunnel, the entire system now is due to be brought online.
The scheduled date for inauguration of this project after launching and testing is 2025.
Tideway chief technical officer Roger Bailey praised the two teams and said the focus was now on bringing the system into full operation.