Thursday 16th June was the Annual General Meeting of the Richmond Environmental Information Centre (REIC). The event was held at the friendly and welcoming River Thames Visitor Centre near Richmond bridge.

Presenting for Thames Water was senior project manager Malcolm Orford accompanied by John Sweetnam.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel is one of the biggest engineering projects in the UK and is being built to stop the average 39 million tonnes of sewage that is put into the river each year.

The major fish kills and damage to the ecology are a very serious problem as demonstrated on June 6th 2011 when as many as 20,000 fish may have died. Not only do the fish suffer but all other aquatic life. The river becomes a virtual no go area for all recreational users and poses a serious health hazard. The sewage overflow causes the Dissolved Oxygen levels to fall very rapidly starving the river. As little as 2mm of rain can cause a sewage overflow, 5-6th June there was 25mm of rain.

A combined sewage overflow

Malcolm's presentation covered from past history where Sir Joseph Bazalgette designed and had built London's sewerage system following the Great Stink in 1858. As London has grown and the once green spaces are now filled with concrete, the population has expanded, the system is beyond its limit.

The talk included what alternatives have been looked at, the work of the Environment Agency in assessing which of the 57 Combined Sewage Overflows (CSO's) that pollute the Thames had to be intercepted, construction, logistics, current opposition and much more.

Questions from the audience was taken at the end including the Mayor of Richmond Clare Head.

The AGM of the REIC followed the talk in a very enjoyable evening.

TAC