Lee Tunnel

The Lee Tunnel, also known as the Stratford to East Ham deep tunnel, is a paradigm overflow sewer in East London for storage and conveyance of foul sewage mixed with rainwater. It was built as part of the Thames Tideway Scheme and runs from Abbey Mills Pumping Station down to pumps and storage tanks at Jenkins Lane, Beckton Sewage Treatment Works. It is wholly under the London Borough of Newham.

Lee Tunnel
Overview
Official nameLee Tunnel
Coordinates51.5307°N 0.000835°W / 51.5307; -0.000835
StatusOpen
StartAbbey Mills Pumping Station
EndBeckton Sewage Treatment Works
Operation
Work begun2010
ConstructedMVB JV consortium
Opened28 January 2016
OwnerThames Water
OperatorThames Water
Technical
Length6.9 km (4.3 mi)
Highest elevation−75 m (−246 ft) at Abbey Mills
Lowest elevation−80 m (−260 ft) at Beckton
Width7.2 m (24 ft)

This 6.9 km (4.3 mi) tunnel, of 7.2 m (24 ft) diameter, laid at between 75 m (246 ft) deep, at start, to 80 m (260 ft) at finish captures c. 16,000,000 m3 (1.6×1010 l), or 16 million tonnes, of sewage annually from the single largest polluting CSO in London, which varies with rainfall. This sewage overflow had flowed untreated into the River Lea, after which it diluted gradually in the Thames Tideway (the narrowest parts of the Thames Estuary).

From terminus, pumps send the effluent into the adjacent Beckton Sewage Treatment Works – the largest such works in Europe. From that works the resultant water (treated sewage) with solids removed and the most harmful chemicals treated empties into the Thames Tideway. Laying at −75 metres (−246 ft) AOD means a second source of London's old-style combined sewers' effluent can be caught, that from the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is under construction and due to open in 2024.

Construction

Thames Water awarded the construction contract to the MVB JV consortium, comprising Morgan Sindall, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche, in January 2010. The contract price, combined with Thames Water's own improvements was estimated at £635 million.[1]

Construction began with sinking of vertical shafts in 2010. In February 2012, the TBM, built by Herrenknecht and named Busy Lizzie, started work at the east end. In 2013, a UK record concrete slipform pour was achieved: 29 days of continual pouring.[2] The tunnel is the deepest bored in London.[2] The TBM reached the west end in January 2014.[3][4] The tunnel was completed, and opened by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, in January 2016.[5]

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References
  1. "Lee Tunnel – London Tideway Improvements". Thames Water. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  2. "Engineering the Lee Tunnel and shafts through chalk at depth". Geological Society (PDF). Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  3. "Thames Water's Lee Tunnel completed on time and on budget". Water Briefing. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  4. "Lee Tunnel project running 'on time and budget'". Utility Week. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  5. "Tunnel Opened by Boris Johnson". Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
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