Thames Water Invests $37m to Stop Sewage Flooding

Thames Water is investing £25m ($37m) over the next five years to fit over 600 pumping systems to stop sewage flooding basement properties located in Counter’s Creek, West London, UK.

The Ofwat-funded short-term solution is aimed to protect the worst-affected properties as the pumping systems will force sewage out into the road.

Counter’s Creek, one of London’s lost rivers and the main sewer for the area, cannot cope with the demands of modern London, according to Thames Water.

More research is being conducted for a long-term solution such as a larger sewer network in the future, according to the company.

Thames Water is yet to receive approval from Ofwat for the larger sewer network and, if approved, construction could begin in 2014 / 15.

In the past six years, 1,400 properties were flooded and research proves that 7,500 properties are at risk in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Among other measures to counter flooding, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council aims to get Thames Water more involved with planning application submissions by developers.

Ofwat regulates water and sewerage providers in England and Wales, while Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater services company.