I’m not an early morning person, so the idea of getting across London for an 8.00am start at the Abbey Mills pumping station didn’t fill me with delight.
Combine that with the prospect of walking knee-high along one of London’s main sewers, and some people would certainly doubt my sanity! I have always been interested by underground tunnels, and the rare opportunity to be allowed down a working sewer sounded too good to miss when Kim announced it.
The event itself was organised by Thames Water for its VIP guests, so we were very fortunate to be allowed to join them for their annual open day at the Abbey Mills pumping station and the Northern Outfall Sewer.
Members of the intrepid Savvy team dressed up for battle!
On arrival, we were picked up by Thames Water minibus from West Ham tube station and driven by a very friendly driver to Abbey Mills. He admitted that his normal day job was fixing pumps in the sewer system, quite different from driving Thames Water VIPs around (including one of their company directors on the day of our visit!).
Following a pleasant continental breakfast, we were given an hour long presentation on the history of sewers and waste disposal, which was entertaining and really interesting. The presenter appeared to be London’s leading guru on the subject, and his passion for the subject really showed through!
We were then split into groups, with our group the first to go down the Northern Outfall Sewer – as we had learned, the 5 tunnels of this sewer carry most of North London’s sewage down to Beckton in East London where it is treated prior to water being discharged into the River Thames.
For each visitor, Health & Safety requires 3 separate minders down the sewer, so we were all extremely well attended to. We wore protective clothing from head to toe, including emergency breathing equipment, but still had to be careful not to fall over. We were lowered through a man-hole cover, down a ladder with safety harness, a drop of around 15 feet.
Everything appeared normal on the surface!
Beneath ground, everything was fairly dark, despite the lighting, until our eyes adjusted to the view. The smell was remarkable in that there was very little smell, and it certainly wasn’t unpleasant. Some of the usual flow had been diverted away from our tunnel, so that the water level was only just above our knees. So, what’s it really like? Well, to be honest about 95% of the sewage is water, hence the lack of smell.
There were unpleasant things floating on the surface, or if you accidentally scooped muck off the floor with your sealed boot, but provided you didn’t focus on this too much, it was easy to look instead at the amazing brickwork, the ornate sluices and gates, and marvel at this underground world that is normally hidden from view, but so essential to modern life.
The sewage was only around knee high, and ropes were provided where the ground was particularly slippery.
We didn’t see any rats or wildlife, and nobody slipped over, so our trip down the sewer was deemed a success. We walked several hundred yards along one tunnel, and then back along another tunnel. In total, we were underground for around 25 minutes. I was pleased to re-surface into the bright sunlight and fresh air, but would happily go down the tunnel again.
Next, our group was given a guided tour of Abbey Mills pumping station. This is an incredibly ornate Victorian building which pumps sewage up 13 metres so that the Northern Outflow sewer can successful drain sewage from the whole of North London out to the Beckton treatment works.
The outside of the Abbey Mills pumping station – incredibly ornate and pretty
Inside the pumping station, there were originally beam engines powered by steam, however these have now been replaced with electric motors. The two huge chimneys which used to dwarf the building were demolished in the 1940’s as it was believed they might attract the attention of German bombers.
The original control room and beam engine area.
All of the Thames Water staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, they clearly enjoy and take great pride in their work and showing visitors what a vital role they play in the day to day life of London. The visit ended with an excellent buffet lunch, after which we were given a minibus ride back to West Ham tube station for the journey home.
The guided tour was highly informative and we learned a lot from the talk
In conclusion, this was a very interesting and impressive half-day event. It have us a unique insight, and an opportunity to do something which is simply not normally available to members of the public. Thames Water were incredibly professional and helpful, and made sure that we enjoyed the event at every stage.
Thanks to Kim for helping organise such an unforgettable event through her excellent contacts!
S Burrows
The SaVVy Club’s members enjoy a unique calendar of bespoke social events organised just for them. They can enjoy the company of fascinating people and relax in the knowledge that everything is taken care of.
London Social Events Blog -The SaVVy Club 