London’s super sewer shows that a bold vision and close collaboration can deliver infrastructure
Andy Mitchell CBE, Chief Executive
| Tideway
The Thames Tideway Tunnel – London’s new ‘super sewer’ – is now fully connected. As we look forward to a healthier future, it’s right to reflect on how this vital project has been delivered
Since the autumn, London’s super sewer has captured enough storm sewage to fill Wembley stadium one-and-a-half times. Most of these six million tonnes would historically have spilled, untreated, into the River Thames, but with the new 25km tunnel now on, those spills are becoming a thing of the past. And it’s just getting started.
A new tracker on our website shows the value of this significant investment in London’s infrastructure by recording the volume of sewage discharges prevented from polluting the river so far.
We are not quite ready to declare mission complete. During the remainder of this year, we will test the system in live storm conditions (yes, we are now quite pleased to see the rain come); we will finish and open the new public spaces that cover the tunnel infrastructure; and we will do the essential certification, which backs up the 120-year design life of this new asset.
We have more to do, but in these closing stages of the project – as we begin looking forward to the long-term environmental benefits the project is set to bring – we are starting to reflect on the way that we have delivered this project and its broader legacy.
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Two factors underpin its success.
The first is our vision. ‘Reconnecting London with the River Thames’ was devised nearly ten years ago when our entire staff team came together to talk about the type of company we wanted to be. This vision was always ambitious and bold and went way beyond ‘just’ building a tunnel. It has genuinely guided our approach and our people.
The second factor is collaboration. Delivering infrastructure requires monumental effort. It takes precision engineering, the right plan and meticulous tracking, detail and focus. Fundamentally however, it is about human behaviour. It is about developing relationships, building consensus and bringing people together behind a unified purpose.
Projects that underestimate the importance of culture and behaviour do so at a cost. Moreover, they miss the huge opportunity that a motivated team – one that can make empowered decisions and enjoy what they do – can achieve.
A collaboration we are proud of is the Thames River Watch programme, led by environmental charity Thames21.
The programme was launched ten years ago and has seen 10,000 people volunteer to record valuable data on the scale of plastic pollution. The programme has supported Thames21’s development into a strong, campaigning voice, using the programme’s data to successfully influence, leading to better policy outcomes.
Another partnership is with London Youth Rowing (LYR). LYR’s Active Row programme saw almost 8,000 young people, who would otherwise not have had the opportunity, try indoor or on-water rowing for the first time.
An independent assessment of the social value of this programme calculated £40 for every £1 that we and Sport England invested. I was proud to recently take up the role of chair at London Youth Rowing, which is now part of my own volunteering commitment.
Our approach to health, safety and wellbeing has also been one of partnership. We set the tone, from the very beginning, with an aim to transform standards.
We invested significantly in a single induction process – EPIC (Employer Project Induction Centre) – for everyone working on the project. This one-day, immersive experience set our culture from the start, and was reinforced by a consistent, defined approach called ‘The RightWay’.
More than 22,000 people have been through EPIC and we believe it has proved successful at driving the right behaviours and ultimately reducing lost-time incidents.
After more than 40 million working hours on the project without, to date, a significant injury, we know the very real impact of this approach.
The project has been delivered within the original time and cost promise; and it has created jobs, supported communities, set new standards and created new public spaces
We also sought to inspire the next generation of engineers. Our STEM programme engaged more than 80,000 young people. 1 in 29 of our workforce was an apprentice, well ahead of our target of 1 in 50. This included recruiting the first cohort of Tunnelling Operative apprentices in the industry.
Enhancing the river economy has also been a central aim. By moving almost six million tonnes of spoil and materials to and from our sites by river was not only safer but it decreased road congestion, reduced air pollution and saved 24,000 tonnes of CO2 (which contributed to a 28 per cent reduction in the project carbon footprint compared to original estimates).
We used a significant portion of the spoil excavated from our sites to help create new wetlands for the RSPB, further down the estuary at Rainham Marshes, where a new habitat is already attracting a range of species.
The vast majority of what we have built is unseen. But there will be some hints above ground of the hard-working infrastructure deep beneath.
New, high quality public spaces, designed to cover the infrastructure, yet giving Londoners and visitors wonderful new opportunities to enjoy the river, are a key part of our legacy.
Two are already open – at Putney Embankment, with its famous University Boat Race starting stone and Chelsea Quay, opposite the historic Royal Hospital.
Work at others – including at Blackfriars Bridge in the City of London and King Edward Memorial Park in Wapping – continues, with teams putting the final architectural and landscaping finishes in place.
So, as we come to the end stages, we can be collectively proud of a collaboration and a vision that has delivered results. The project has been delivered within the original time and cost promise; and it has created jobs, supported communities, set new standards and created new public spaces. It has had cross-party, multi-stakeholder support over more than a decade. And it serves as a case study of long-term, private sector investment in critical infrastructure, backed by government guarantees and regulation.
Tideway has been a whole team effort. We look forward to seeing the impact on the river; and we hope that our experience serves as a lesson that the UK can deliver infrastructure.
To find out more visit www.tideway.london.
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