Water debacle is ‘not a threat to London’s super-sewer’
Boss of new supersewer in London says it’s ‘unthinkable’ Thames Water’s financial problems will derail it
The boss of a new London super sewer has said it is ‘unthinkable’ that Thames Water’s financial problems will derail it.
Andy Mitchell, chief executive of the Tideway project, said he has “no doubt” the massive concrete tunnel will be completed and used to clean up the capitol when it comes online next year.
The Tideway, which is 25 kilometers long and seven meters wide, took eight years to build and cost £4.5 billion.
Fears: Tideway is different from Thames Water, but it is funded by customer bills
It is designed to reduce wastewater discharge into the Thames by 95 per cent by expanding London’s storage capacity for wastewater awaiting treatment. Tideway differs from Thames Water, but is funded by customer bills.
That has raised fears that if the Thames collapses, the flow of money will stop. But Mitchell was confident that the city’s water supply would remain uninterrupted.
When asked if the tunnel, which is designed to last 120 years, would continue even if the Thames collapsed, he said: ‘I’m sure it will. It’s inconceivable that anything else would happen, that wouldn’t make any sense.’
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