Opponents to Thames Water’s plans for a proposed super-sewer are continuing with their efforts to push for a green alternative to the Thames Tunnel. Thamesbank, one of the leading opposition groups, is urging for consideration to be given to the green solution adopted by the city of Philadelphia in the United States to its stormwater problems.
Green City, Clean Waters is Philadelphia's 25-year plan to protect and enhance its watersheds by managing stormwater with innovative green infrastructure systems that assist or mimic natural processes.
At a meeting organised by Thamesbank in August to discuss water management problems in London, attendees heard from Mark Maimone, Managing Director of CDM Smith, the water engineering company that has overseen the installation of the Green Infrastructure project in Philadelphia, a smaller city than London but one where there is also a combined sewer system with the CSOs overflowing into the tidal Delaware River. Philadelphia has more CSOs than London and has to cope with a significant storm water problem.
Among those present were Matthew Pencharz, Environmental Adviser to the Mayor of London, representatives from the Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority, the London boroughs of Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Southwark and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, the Environmental Law Foundation, the West London River Group, London Friends of The Earth, Thames 21 and other Thames-related bodies.
The meeting also heard from Chris Binnie, the former chairman of the Thames Tideway Strategic Study, consultant water engineer and advocate of the tunnel who was chief advisor to Thames Water on the project. Dr Ben Pontin of the Environmental Law Foundation also explained the legal status of the Thames Tunnel in relation to the EU Urban Waste Water Directive, non compliance with which could leave the UK facing fines of around one billion Euros.
There are already on-going infraction proceedings in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to decide if the UK is breaching the Directive by the stormwater/sewage overflows into the Thames.
Thamesbank itself is a party to the ECJ proceedings as an objector. Its representatives have corresponded with the European Commission, and met with prosecuting officials to clarify the legal position regarding the Commission’s view of compliance in the event that the ECJ rules against the UK.
The meeting was told that the estimated financial costs of the Tunnel, which currently stand at £4 billion-plus are likely to rise again – with tunnels in Japan and the USA which came in at between 5 and 12 times original estimates cited as examples.
Click on the Watch section on the right to see the City of Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Waters video on Waterbriefing.