The Lee Tunnel — the first of two London 'super sewers' — was opened today by Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
Joseph Bazalgette's Victorian sewers continue to serve the city but are now struggling to cope; a shocking 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage mixed with rainwater is discharged into the Thames every year.
The Lee Tunnel — at 75 metres, the deepest tunnel in London — will capture polluting sewage, keeping it out of the Thames and making it cleaner.
A second super sewer — the Thames Tideway Tunnel — is under construction, and due for completion in 2023.
