A report by Thames Water has set out the business case for the Thames Tunnel to be built. London’s proposed super-sewer would create over 9,000 jobs if it gets through the consultation process, which would help the city through the current economic downturn.

The report entitled ‘Why does London’s economy need the Thames Tunnel’ claims that the massive project would create around 4,000 construction jobs in the capital, with a further 5,000 jobs created indirectly.

The construction of the tunnel is expected to begin in 2016, but ministers have yet to decide how the tunnel will be funded and how the project will be delivered.

The chief executive of Thames Water, Martin Baggs, stated:

“To retain its place as a world-leading business hub and tourist destination, London urgently needs the Thames Tunnel. As well as protecting the river and ensuring compliance with important legal standards, the project will also be a much-needed boost for the capital’s economy.

“It is set to create long overdue career and training opportunities for a whole new generation of young engineers. That’s not to mention the knock-on wealth-creating opportunities it will present for local businesses.”

It’s common for the drainage pipes which leave your home to get no maintenance whatsoever during the course of their life. That is until things start to go wrong.

A drainage problem will often strike with little warning whatsoever, leaving a homeowner in an unhygienic mess. A backflowing toilet or a drain which has become blocked can lead to sewage seeping up into a homeowner’s garden and causing a considerable amount of damage. Sometimes a homeowner may notice things aren’t what they should be before this happens and this is when it’s time to react.

When the water level in your toilet drops much lower than it used to, or when you notice that a sink is taking longer to drain than it should, it’s time to call in the drainage professionals to help out. If you leave a problem there is a good chance that it will only get worse, resulting in a scenario such as the one above, where waste will enter your home.

Drain cleaning companies in London have all the equipment needed to solve blocked drains. And in most cases all’s that is needed is to jet the drain with high pressure water to remove the blockage. This can take just a matter of minutes, but it can save you a huge amount of otherwise costly and unhygienic mess.

Thames Water has finally solved a sewer problem in Tadworth which left raw sewage seeping out of manhole covers onto the road and across footpaths.

The sewer problems started in Preston Lane a couple of weeks ago and recent visits by Thames Water had believed to have solved the problem. But after another incident early last week, Thames Water arrived on Thursday and jetted a 300metre section of drain, which they now hope will put an end to the problem for good.

A spokesperson commented on the recurrent problem before it was rectified last Thursday. She said:

“We thought we had resolved this, but the issue returned yesterday and we have since decided to do a full clean of the sewer pipe, nearly 300m in length, to remove the fat and grease which we believe is causing this blockage.”

“Pouring cooking fat and grease down the drain really causes problems for our sewer pipes.

“It may pour down the sink easy enough, but when it hits the sewer it gets cold and forms hideous ‘fatbergs’ which block the network and causes the waste to back-up like it has done here.”

Perhaps the most common reason for a drain blockage in the city of London is the liquid fat that is deposited down the drains by unwitting homeowners and commercial property owners who do not realise the damage that can be caused.

Many people still carry out the practice of disposing of liquid fat down their drains. And this can not only be a long-term problem, it can also be a problem which causes heartache in the short term too.

When fat is disposed of down the drain it can quickly cool and solidify into a mass of immovable gunk. This mass is then a sticky haven for anything else which is disposed of down the drain, so blockages quickly follow.

Every year thousands are spent by water companies who try to educate people on what can and what can’t be put down drain, but unfortunately the practice continues.

Drainage engineers in London luckily have a few tricks up their sleeves to solve drainage problems caused by fat. And their best tool in their arsenal to solve fat-bergs is called high pressure water jetting.

In the pressure jetting process the team of drainage engineers direct a stream of water down the drain, which blasts the fat from the insides of the drainage pipes. This fat can either then be washed through the system or retrieved via the nearest manhole cover.

Emergency sewer work on a busy street in Cambridge started on Monday the 19th of March after Anglian Water announced that a suitable time had now been agreed with the local council.

The sewer repairs on Sidney Street in the city centre will see the road closed to traffic for around a month while the repairs take place.

Sewers at a level of three metres below the surface need to be repaired to stop future sewer problems occurring.

Some local traders are worried that they will see a drop in trade when the road is closed. Anglian Water spokesperson Antony Innes said:

“We have been aware of problems with this sewer since late last year and have been working with the council to find a suitable time to complete these works.

“In agreement with the council, these works have been planned to coincide with Sidney Sussex College’s Easter period so that disruption to the local area can be minimised.

“Unfortunately, some disruption and inconvenience will be inevitable which is why we wanted to let businesses and customers know what is going on and why.

“Work on the sewer system is never ideal but it is essential that we take this opportunity to fully repair the collapse and reduce the chances of problems in the future.”