Back in 1962 I worked on the Northen Outfall Sewer at West Ham just East of Abbey Mills pumping station, where the five outfalls cross several railway tracks and Manor Road West Ham. The sewers were damaged in WWII and repaired with cast iron tunnel segments, though great for a quick repair, the webs and bolts on the inside caused blockages with the solids and other waste catching on them. The pipes were flushed with water from Abbey Mills and then each pipe in turn was closed off and pad locked. Then the tunnel segments dismantled and new bridge girders and hanging brackets installed. New cast iron segments installed with webs and bolts on the outside, the recessed joint grooves filled with steel filings. Then the pipe was commissioned, and the operation carried out four more times. This was carried out through a terrible winter with thick fogs that on one occasion it took my father and I nine hours to travel home to Barnet North London. London was covered in ice, men were taken of the dole and set to ice chipping walkways etc. To lift the concrete beams into place over the railway tracks, a rail mounted steam crane was hired from British Rail, it was amazing to watch. The driver received signals from the banksman blowing a whistle for stop, the direction signal given by hand, the crane driver would carry out the lift for example, then the banksman would blow his whistle for stop and all the crew would shout stop. This continues for each raise, lower or swing in turn.
This is a long awaited and fantastic piece of infrastructure that will make a huge difference to the wonderful Thames river. I can remember well when the Thames was so polluted that fish were unheard of, now with this fantastic sewerage system, overnight the themes will start to breath life again.
I haven't heard of it until now I follow maga construction especially within the UK And maybe someone should tell the fools protesting about the lack of action on this exact matter
I worked on this project, many years ago. Used to manage a bunch of small ships, which were used to move million tons of soil excavated during tunneling operations, out of London. With the help of this excavated material a brand new saltmarsh was created at Wallasea Island. What used to be agricultural land, these days is a wetland for all kinds of wildlife.
The ground underneath London is like Swiss cheese. As well as the old sewers there is the Underground Railway, the Mail Train, the London Ring (A large bore tunnel that is an deep level drinking water reservoir.), a service tunnel distributing high voltage electricity around London, and numerous bunkers built during WWII and in the post WWII era known as the Cold War.
At last someone in the central government has had the fore sight to the problem that many people will benefit from this project including those who live in north Kent and Essex shore lines .Plus for us better marine life .
One good way to reduce solids loading in the sanitary sewerage system would be to introduce source separation; for example, solids such as fecal matter will be filtered through a thick layer of combustible garbage which will be periodically removed withma screw auger ( which will also remove excess moisture). The solids could either be converted into various liquid and gaseous fuels, or even, if possible, burned directly. The heat could then be utilized for triple-effect distillation.
Will it separate run off water from sewage water? That's the main issue at the moment, as the combination of both causes the overflows into rivers/ocean. Run off water is fine to release, sewage is certainly NOT.
It's mainly the increasing frequency of heavy rain falls and flash floods that is causing the issue (Londons population has only just recently gone beyond its peak population of 1938 although clean water usage has increased per person to be fair), that is causing the dramatic increase in frequency of overflow into the Thames, this "super sewer" is basically built to capture the existing overflow and send it to the sewage works East, instead of into the Thames, the existing sewer system is still going to be there and working as before. There will still be overflows from this Super Sewer into the Thames during unusual heavy storms but it will be a far fewer occurance than today.
Around 1860, they made 21.000 kilometers of smaller local sewers plus 720 kilometers of main sewers in 5 years time. In the 2020's, they made 15 kilometers of super sewer in 5 years time for $ 5 billion. That is $ 1 million for every 3 meters.
Have any idea how difficult that would be? To separate rainwater from sewage would in many case be near impossible and would require huge amounts of roadworks and disruption to almost every household, many homes in central London have just one drain that handles both waste water sewage and rainwater. When the system was first built rainwater was meant to help flush the sewers through.
@@wobby1516 some estimates say £600 billion with a “B” might be to be an end of life replacement thing. But it should be the end goal no service lasts for ever Edit…. Roads need replacing too ever 20-30 years , we need more joined up thinking do it together
@@wobby1516 It's something that should have been implemented for new builds years ago, yes it wouldn't help with existing areas, although they could gradually be added to the system over time.
Of course other cities needs investment. The reality of this project though is no one but London water bill payers will be contributing to the cost of this project. If the project didn't happen in London, there is no money or investment that would be transferred up to another urban location in the UK.
@@pqrstzxerty1296 My understanding is Thames Water (who will manage the system when operational) are majority owned by pension funds based in Canada and the UK, among others. Ownership isn’t very relevant. I was replying to your point on the lack of investment elsewhere, and the unfair balance of infrastructure spending in the UK. My point still stands as whilst the upfront costs will be met by many funders, (not UK taxpayers) the long term pay off will be footed by an added levy on the bills of thames water customers.
@@richardkent6608 London has really cheap water and sewerage rates and I doubt they will be paying the cost otherwise their bills may start to approach the South West water and sewerage bills which would cause a massive outcry. I'd be willing to bet it will be paid off by the government either directly, or indirectly due to water bill subsidies because of Londoners kicking off.
@@kaneworsnop1007 I do not know the relative rates for different areas of the UK re: water rates. And I can't speculate on what the future holds regarding how this project will be paid for, but the current financial model is that the cost will be covered by an amount being added to the water rates of Thames Water customer. As far as I am aware nothing has changed about that since the planning process and funding was agreed. I would expect most bill payers will never be aware of either the project or the added cost. And I can't imagine a scenario where the is enough of a voice from the public to change the funding and payment model. After lots of speculation about extra annual costs of up to £80 a year, OFWAT confirmed the extra cost to pay for this project will not be more the £25.
There's a small mistake with "Banchy Soletanche". It is "Bachy Soletanche UK", without a "n" in Bachy. It is the UK subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy", a huge French construction company / group currently involved, like VINCI, in the building of the Grand Paris Express, among many other projects. It is currently the world's largest geotechnical construction company. The UK subsidiary was founded by Bachy in the mid 80's, before the merger of Bachy with Soletanche, that's why the name is reserved in the UK, while it is Soletanche Bachy in France and worldwide. Bachy UK was established by the acquisition of Pigott Foundations Ltd and Foundation Engineering Ltd. And it's VINCI Grands Projets (not projects), as it is the French name Grands Projets meaning Great Projects. The video is great and very interesting but it could have mentioned that the super sewer tunnel seems to run under the Thames for a substantial part of its length, following the meandering path of the river.
@Dionysos640 It's also the reason for Frenchies to pronounce Vinci with a nasal i. Since Da Vinci settled in France with king François the 1st, his name has been Frenchified as "Léonard de Vinci" and pronounced like a French name.
The pumping station has 4 no 5Mw submersibles lift the effluent up to The Crossness WWTW ( think that is the name) I hope the pumping station is a wet well/dry well system, combined wet well/dry well pumping stations are very difficult to maintain,.
Where will it end and what contract was issued. Normally in the uk they start with 7.5 billion which ends at 49 billion. Civil servants are clever at that.
With 1st Hand Experiences, The UK Government Should Offer & Share Their Experiences To Build On FOC BasisThe Drainage & Modern Flashing Toilet & Sewage Systems For India For The Artifacts & Gem Stones Stolen From India As India's Colonial Masters
Look, I've worked in the sewer industry in the past. Tank sales and installations, fiberglass and concrete, both agitated and aireaited variations, as well as, water jetting for commercial and residential applications, and I'm here to tell you right now 100% for a fact.... when the shit don't go down, NOBODY, gives a fuck what that company's ESG score is. FULL STOP.
I can never hear the name Bazalgette without remembering the joke at the time Endemol (chairman Peter Bazalgette) debuted the Big Brother TV programme: Peter Bazalgette's ancestor used to pump shit away from people's homes. 😀
Not remotely secret. Everyone in London knows of it. Also sewerage is not routinely discharged into the river, although storm overflow problems are becoming worse, hence the super sewer. Other than that, and the mispronunciations, not a bad summary video.
Raw sewage does not flow into the river Thames, get your facts right there are loads of sewage treatment plants up and down the river thames ,all water that get pumped into the river Thames is treated
I would say rainwater and sewer water should be separated. Also designing for future growth could be costing effective versus the population at present.
Separating the rain water would be a relatively easy fix to prevent dumping raw sewerage in most areas, during heavy rain fall instead of going through the treatment plant it could go out through overflows, not ideal, but a lot less harmful than raw sewerage. No one wants to spend the money to put all the new sewerage pipes in though.
@@suburbia2050 if the sewerage is just lying about and seeping out everywhere then rain water would only exacerbate the problem by increasing the volume. How do you think the sewerage system continues to function when it doesn't rain for days or weeks?
This video made sure to hypothesize on the possible impact of global warming on the use of this new sewer system. Few things are as irritating as the random insertion of vague language about what might happen due to global warming. Furthermore, I thought the popular name these days was to say climate change. Show me hard science that strongly suggests how this new sewage line will be impacted by the not so well understood possibility of a climate shift. Do that, and I will cease with my objections to tossing around the specter of climate change at every turn.
For use on high flow days currently projected at......"4 days per year"....WTAF!!!.....if anything shows the preferential treatment London gets in the UK then it's this surely?
The same companies, Bachy Soletanche UK, Costain and VINCI Grands Projets, are building (if it isn't delivered already) the Shieldhall Tunnel in Glasgow, as a major upgrade to the city's wastewater network. 4 days a year (certainly more in the coming years), combined with the very large population of London, are enough to massively pollute the Thames and its estuary. That 4 days too much, it should be zero. Every single drop of wastewater should be treated to avoid environmental harm. Especially when it also carries wet wipes, tampons, drug residue, cleaning products residue, mineral oils, etc. Crap in itself is enough yo pollute, but with everything else a large city produces, it's a biological and chemical hazard.
@@KyrilPG so what about all the other areas in the country with sewerage systems which have been to small for the capacity for decades and haven't been upgraded even as more houses have been built, which dump raw sewerage into the waterways on an almost daily basis?
@@kaneworsnop1007 It too should be dealt with. I wasn't justifying inaction elsewhere by any means. I was only explaining the utter importance of such sewer upgrades for a city the size of London, and the scale of the risks of not doing so.
An amazing under the radar project 🔥 Are there any major issues?
It’s being built in Britain, the home of failing/ over budget infrastructure. Of course there will be issues.
Back in 1962 I worked on the Northen Outfall Sewer at West Ham just East of Abbey Mills pumping station, where the five outfalls cross several railway tracks and Manor Road West Ham. The sewers were damaged in WWII and repaired with cast iron tunnel segments, though great for a quick repair, the webs and bolts on the inside caused blockages with the solids and other waste catching on them. The pipes were flushed with water from Abbey Mills and then each pipe in turn was closed off and pad locked. Then the tunnel segments dismantled and new bridge girders and hanging brackets installed. New cast iron segments installed with webs and bolts on the outside, the recessed joint grooves filled with steel filings. Then the pipe was commissioned, and the operation carried out four more times. This was carried out through a terrible winter with thick fogs that on one occasion it took my father and I nine hours to travel home to Barnet North London. London was covered in ice, men were taken of the dole and set to ice chipping walkways etc.
To lift the concrete beams into place over the railway tracks, a rail mounted steam crane was hired from British Rail, it was amazing to watch. The driver received signals from the banksman blowing a whistle for stop, the direction signal given by hand, the crane driver would carry out the lift for example, then the banksman would blow his whistle for stop and all the crew would shout stop. This continues for each raise, lower or swing in turn.
Too complicated for us to understand what you’re saying but I appreciate you for trying to give us an insight
This is a long awaited and fantastic piece of infrastructure that will make a huge difference to the wonderful Thames river. I can remember well when the Thames was so polluted that fish were unheard of, now with this fantastic sewerage system, overnight the themes will start to breath life again.
Strangely enough there have been multiple tv documentaries on the super sewer so not really an unknown construction project
I totally agree with your point.
I k r?
Stupid humans ,always trying to scam each other
True even Tony Robinson has been down there in his river Thames programs
I haven't heard of it until now
I follow maga construction especially within the UK
And maybe someone should tell the fools protesting about the lack of action on this exact matter
I worked on this project, many years ago. Used to manage a bunch of small ships, which were used to move million tons of soil excavated during tunneling operations, out of London.
With the help of this excavated material a brand new saltmarsh was created at Wallasea Island. What used to be agricultural land, these days is a wetland for all kinds of wildlife.
The ground underneath London is like Swiss cheese.
As well as the old sewers there is the Underground Railway, the Mail Train, the London Ring (A large bore tunnel that is an deep level drinking water reservoir.), a service tunnel distributing high voltage electricity around London, and numerous bunkers built during WWII and in the post WWII era known as the Cold War.
At last someone in the central government has had the fore sight to the problem that many people will benefit from this project including those who live in north Kent and Essex shore lines .Plus for us better marine life .
Absolutely quality mind 💯 % for the well-being of people and everything surrounding the environment. Thanks so much for such quality technologies. 😅
A video on the Chicago Deep Tunnel might be cool.
I live in london and have always known about the super sewer 😂😅
Well I have, because I have been smart enough to watch your TH-cam video!
Flushed away 2 will be inspired by this
One good way to reduce solids loading in the sanitary sewerage system would be to introduce source separation; for example, solids such as fecal matter will be filtered through a thick layer of combustible garbage which will be periodically removed withma screw auger ( which will also remove excess moisture).
The solids could either be converted into various liquid and gaseous fuels, or even, if possible, burned directly. The heat could then be utilized for triple-effect distillation.
Bazaigette is prenoused Basil -jet
Will it separate run off water from sewage water? That's the main issue at the moment, as the combination of both causes the overflows into rivers/ocean. Run off water is fine to release, sewage is certainly NOT.
It's mainly the increasing frequency of heavy rain falls and flash floods that is causing the issue (Londons population has only just recently gone beyond its peak population of 1938 although clean water usage has increased per person to be fair), that is causing the dramatic increase in frequency of overflow into the Thames, this "super sewer" is basically built to capture the existing overflow and send it to the sewage works East, instead of into the Thames, the existing sewer system is still going to be there and working as before. There will still be overflows from this Super Sewer into the Thames during unusual heavy storms but it will be a far fewer occurance than today.
Is it on target for opening?
3:02 that's the shaft where the digger took a dive no?
Around 1860, they made 21.000 kilometers of smaller local sewers plus 720 kilometers of main sewers in 5 years time.
In the 2020's, they made 15 kilometers of super sewer in 5 years time for $ 5 billion. That is $ 1 million for every 3 meters.
I had no idea that raw sewage was being discharged into the Thames 🤯🤯🤯
In storm conditions only. The reason for the super sewer is to increase capacity so that storm discharges are no longer required.
Why the horrible background noise (music !) ? Video makers must learn to show respect for listeners.
I k r? Stupid
Great summary
Is it for to release all the cr#p from the House of Commons ?
Carp?
Oh well done London. As usual.
Why didn't they get these contractors to build HS2?
sticking plaster... need to separate rain water
Have any idea how difficult that would be? To separate rainwater from sewage would in many case be near impossible and would require huge amounts of roadworks and disruption to almost every household, many homes in central London have just one drain that handles both waste water sewage and rainwater. When the system was first built rainwater was meant to help flush the sewers through.
@@wobby1516 some estimates say £600 billion with a “B” might be to be an end of life replacement thing. But it should be the end goal no service lasts for ever
Edit…. Roads need replacing too ever 20-30 years , we need more joined up thinking do it together
@@wobby1516 It's something that should have been implemented for new builds years ago, yes it wouldn't help with existing areas, although they could gradually be added to the system over time.
Plenty of us have heard of it and have followed its progress.
Was it over budget ?
Wish I could skate this!
The are other cities in England, but don't get any money spent on them like London does.
Of course other cities needs investment. The reality of this project though is no one but London water bill payers will be contributing to the cost of this project.
If the project didn't happen in London, there is no money or investment that would be transferred up to another urban location in the UK.
@@richardkent6608 But the London water and sewage company is presently owned by China.
@@pqrstzxerty1296 My understanding is Thames Water (who will manage the system when operational) are majority owned by pension funds based in Canada and the UK, among others.
Ownership isn’t very relevant. I was replying to your point on the lack of investment elsewhere, and the unfair balance of infrastructure spending in the UK. My point still stands as whilst the upfront costs will be met by many funders, (not UK taxpayers) the long term pay off will be footed by an added levy on the bills of thames water customers.
@@richardkent6608 London has really cheap water and sewerage rates and I doubt they will be paying the cost otherwise their bills may start to approach the South West water and sewerage bills which would cause a massive outcry. I'd be willing to bet it will be paid off by the government either directly, or indirectly due to water bill subsidies because of Londoners kicking off.
@@kaneworsnop1007 I do not know the relative rates for different areas of the UK re: water rates. And I can't speculate on what the future holds regarding how this project will be paid for, but the current financial model is that the cost will be covered by an amount being added to the water rates of Thames Water customer. As far as I am aware nothing has changed about that since the planning process and funding was agreed.
I would expect most bill payers will never be aware of either the project or the added cost. And I can't imagine a scenario where the is enough of a voice from the public to change the funding and payment model. After lots of speculation about extra annual costs of up to £80 a year, OFWAT confirmed the extra cost to pay for this project will not be more the £25.
There's a small mistake with "Banchy Soletanche". It is "Bachy Soletanche UK", without a "n" in Bachy.
It is the UK subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy", a huge French construction company / group currently involved, like VINCI, in the building of the Grand Paris Express, among many other projects.
It is currently the world's largest geotechnical construction company.
The UK subsidiary was founded by Bachy in the mid 80's, before the merger of Bachy with Soletanche, that's why the name is reserved in the UK, while it is Soletanche Bachy in France and worldwide.
Bachy UK was established by the acquisition of Pigott Foundations Ltd and Foundation Engineering Ltd.
And it's VINCI Grands Projets (not projects), as it is the French name Grands Projets meaning Great Projects.
The video is great and very interesting but it could have mentioned that the super sewer tunnel seems to run under the Thames for a substantial part of its length, following the meandering path of the river.
@Dionysos640 It's also the reason for Frenchies to pronounce Vinci with a nasal i.
Since Da Vinci settled in France with king François the 1st, his name has been Frenchified as "Léonard de Vinci" and pronounced like a French name.
The aggregate for the tunnel segments is quarried at The Glansanda Quarry near Fort William.
The pumping station has 4 no 5Mw submersibles lift the effluent up to The Crossness WWTW ( think that is the name)
I hope the pumping station is a wet well/dry well system, combined wet well/dry well pumping stations are very difficult to maintain,.
Affectionally known as 'High Speed Poo'....
Where will it end and what contract was issued. Normally in the uk they start with 7.5 billion which ends at 49 billion. Civil servants are clever at that.
Sure, no one has heard of Thames Tideway,,, only brave TH-camrs like you have discovered Londons best kept secret…..
It better be worthwhile because people have had enough with the b.s. Much more than enough
I wonder if they will be spending £5billion upgrading sewers in the north of England 🤔🤔🤔
With 1st Hand Experiences, The UK Government Should Offer & Share Their Experiences To Build On FOC BasisThe Drainage & Modern Flashing Toilet & Sewage Systems For India For The Artifacts & Gem Stones Stolen From India As India's Colonial Masters
what london really needed, not some hs2 Nonsense.
Aaaah.....so that's what hs2 tunneling is being used for!!! 😂
Look, I've worked in the sewer industry in the past. Tank sales and installations, fiberglass and concrete, both agitated and aireaited variations, as well as, water jetting for commercial and residential applications, and I'm here to tell you right now 100% for a fact.... when the shit don't go down, NOBODY, gives a fuck what that company's ESG score is. FULL STOP.
I can never hear the name Bazalgette without remembering the joke at the time Endemol (chairman Peter Bazalgette) debuted the Big Brother TV programme: Peter Bazalgette's ancestor used to pump shit away from people's homes. 😀
Michael that is nearly funny.
Has rishi cancelled it yet?
this project is in London so it won't be cancelled.
ESG .... BS, just clean up the damn waters
Maybe that's it; build a DAMn!
Still too small to take the shit coming out of downing street
Hope it's not like HS2 over Budget by Billions👎🇬🇧
Not remotely secret. Everyone in London knows of it. Also sewerage is not routinely discharged into the river, although storm overflow problems are becoming worse, hence the super sewer. Other than that, and the mispronunciations, not a bad summary video.
It’s pronounced ‘jet’ not ‘get’….
Global warming increases sewage ?? I hope that was the famous British sarcasm.
Big blocked drain..
Someone will seriously consider flying Roto-Rooter first class to London for ya!
Raw sewage does not flow into the river Thames, get your facts right there are loads of sewage treatment plants up and down the river thames ,all water that get pumped into the river Thames is treated
Brill
I would say rainwater and sewer water should be separated. Also designing for future growth could be costing effective versus the population at present.
Totally agree that rainwater should be separate from sewage
Separating the rain water would be a relatively easy fix to prevent dumping raw sewerage in most areas, during heavy rain fall instead of going through the treatment plant it could go out through overflows, not ideal, but a lot less harmful than raw sewerage. No one wants to spend the money to put all the new sewerage pipes in though.
@@kaneworsnop1007 relatively easy?
It keeps the drains clean, nothing worse than raw sewerage lying about seeping out everywhere
@@suburbia2050 if the sewerage is just lying about and seeping out everywhere then rain water would only exacerbate the problem by increasing the volume. How do you think the sewerage system continues to function when it doesn't rain for days or weeks?
Global warming? 🙄
This is not the TIDEway tunnel, but the TURD-way tunnel! 💩💩💩
What do you mean nobody never heard of? I live in rhe UK and we do know about it ..get your facts correct.
British smart people.
😷
This video made sure to hypothesize on the possible impact of global warming on the use of this new sewer system. Few things are as irritating as the random insertion of vague language about what might happen due to global warming. Furthermore, I thought the popular name these days was to say climate change. Show me hard science that strongly suggests how this new sewage line will be impacted by the not so well understood possibility of a climate shift. Do that, and I will cease with my objections to tossing around the specter of climate change at every turn.
Clickbait of the worst kind. Poorly researched subject and clearly shows the production team need to get out more
Thames turdway tunnel 😂
Please use the metric system. America is not the only civilization on earth.
Please don’t use the metric system. TH-cam is USA based and this video is on an American platform
The UK uses tons and miles like in this vid.
Your all wrong. Best is to provide both.
@richard09able this was made possible due to the the world wide Web, of which, an English person invented
@@TheExileFoxyou’re
For use on high flow days currently projected at......"4 days per year"....WTAF!!!.....if anything shows the preferential treatment London gets in the UK then it's this surely?
The same companies, Bachy Soletanche UK, Costain and VINCI Grands Projets, are building (if it isn't delivered already) the Shieldhall Tunnel in Glasgow, as a major upgrade to the city's wastewater network.
4 days a year (certainly more in the coming years), combined with the very large population of London, are enough to massively pollute the Thames and its estuary.
That 4 days too much, it should be zero.
Every single drop of wastewater should be treated to avoid environmental harm.
Especially when it also carries wet wipes, tampons, drug residue, cleaning products residue, mineral oils, etc.
Crap in itself is enough yo pollute, but with everything else a large city produces, it's a biological and chemical hazard.
@@KyrilPG so what about all the other areas in the country with sewerage systems which have been to small for the capacity for decades and haven't been upgraded even as more houses have been built, which dump raw sewerage into the waterways on an almost daily basis?
@@kaneworsnop1007 It too should be dealt with.
I wasn't justifying inaction elsewhere by any means.
I was only explaining the utter importance of such sewer upgrades for a city the size of London, and the scale of the risks of not doing so.
It was finished about 5 years ago.
this project is so unsustainable, expensive and useless, its really funny to see how people excited to speak about it
No it isn't.
I had a two year affair with the wife of the man whose company is financing this project.
True story