Mogden sewage works [photo : eight2O]

With the recent boat races having brought with them the annual hand-wringing over river pollution, providing the Mayor with an opportunity to remind us of his 2024 pledge to make London’s rivers swimmable within 10 years, it seems an appropriate moment to review the status quo in this long running saga.

In addition to the annual boat race related news, there have been a number of stories in the wake of the recent Thames Water TV documentary and the related Tideway Tunnel or ‘Super Sewer’ completion, after more than a decade of construction.  The programme revealed a team of people battling the odds to keep an overstretched system working, and not always winning. It must be disappointing for those working on the project to have so much of the news created by the things they were working for years to fix.

There’s the small matter of the automatic outfall monitors now mandated by OFWAT which, connected directly to Twitter, became an effective way to allow the public to beat the water companies with their opprobrium.  It may be that there were plenty of spills before these monitors, but that nobody could put a number on them, and the increasing heavy rainfall episodes have clearly not helped.

Original Super Sewer plans

Notwithstanding the connection to the Super Sewer at Hammersmith under the watchful eye of our own Capability Brown, and at Fulham on Carnwath road, there have been quite a range of related stories that help illustrate the causes, effects and work being done – or not – to address them, here’s a roundup:

Thames Water are about to announce revised plans for sites they wish to use in the construction of this project, and will be seeking further consultation. If you think your property may be affected, and you would like to comment or just find out more – visit www.thameswater.co.uk/counterscreek

Thames Water Holds New Drop-in Sessions over Storm Relief Sewer

Seeking further feedback on selection of five preferred sites

Thames Water is holding a new series of public drop-in sessions in January and February after selecting five preferred sites to construct a new storm relief sewer.

The sites are at:

• Cremorne Wharf Depot, Lots Road, Chelsea
• Land adjacent to Talgarth Road and Trevanion Road, Hammersmith
• Maclise Road car park and woodland adjacent to Kensington Olympia Station
• Holland Villas Road at its junction with Lower Addison Gardens
• The car park at Tesco Superstore, Shepherd’s Bush Road.

Thames Water says it is inviting residents in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to give their views on the updated plans to protect properties from the misery of sewer flooding.

Counters Creek Storm Relief Sewer

It seems that Thames Water are causing quite a storm of their own with their high handed approach to selecting sites for these works. No-one denies the need for this project designed to reduce the risk of properties being flooded by sewage.

My office has been flooded twice and I know from personal experience how awful it is. It must be much worse if it is your home. See what Andy Slaughter has been saying on the subject in his current blog.

Please tell us how you think the Hammersmith Society can assist with this problem.

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