Crossrail puts £2.2bn super-sewer 'at risk'

A row broke out today over plans for a £2.2 billion super-sewer.

A controversial report claims the London project is in crisis following the Government's decision to give Crossrail the go-ahead.

It says a major skills crisis could delay construction as workers build the Olympic infrastructure and Crossrail tunnel. The report from London Councils also claims the project could see Londoner's water bills double to fund Thames Water's improvement plans.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel will stretch 18 miles from Hammersmith to Beckton, with a second tunnel running from Abbey Mills to Beckton.

It will channel sewage and waste water into processing plants, preventing the capital's ageing sewers from becoming overwhelmed. Described as London's biggest engineering project, its future is to be discussed by London borough chiefs at a London Councils meeting tonight.

The damning report prepared for the meeting warns of an impending skills crisis for the tunnel as the majority of the highly-skilled workers needed will be employed on the Crossrail project.

"We have three massive construction projects coming up - the Olympics, Crossrail, and the Thames Tideway Tunnel," said Nick Lester of London Councils.

"I think there are some very serious questions over whether there are enough construction workers, and we have already raised those worries with ministers."

The report also claims the project has already missed several key deadlines.

A recent report from consumer group CCWater predicted the Tideway Tunnel, along with other Thames Water projects such as the Victorian mains replacement, could increase consumer water bills by £120. An initial Ofwat study predicted a rise of only £37.

However, both Thames Water and the Government today hit back at the report.

"London needs this tunnel," environment minister Phil Woolas said. "Sooner or later we have to pay for clean water and proper sewers, but speculating about costs is nonsensical. The job hasn't gone out to tender yet."

Thames Water said the final costs for the project had not been finalised. "The £120 figure is not one that we recognise."

Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "This is a major project, but it is absolutely vital. It is not acceptable for a leading world city to dump raw sewage into the Thames."