23 March 2007
Water bills could increase by up to 50% in the next decade as a result of a new £2 billion sewerage system being built beneath London.
The 20 mile tunnel, stretching from Hammersmith to Beckton will replace the capital's antiquated sewerage system, which was created by the Victorians.
Set to be placed up to 80 metres underground in order to intercept rainwater and sewerage, the new system is expected to direct sewerage away from the River Thames.
Currently, the existing sewerage system carries both rainwater and untreated sewerage into the River Thames, reports the Guardian.
According to Thames Water, average water bills could rise by £37 a year to pay for the tunnel, which environment minister Ian Pearson described as "the right solution for London and for the environment".
However, a spokesperson for Ofwat told the paper that when potential costs had been fully assessed, the final cost to Londoners could be higher than those first mooted.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
Content for the uSwitch.com market news service is provided by a third party, Adfero Ltd. Whilst uSwitch.com makes reasonable efforts to check the reliability of this content, uSwitch.com does not guarantee the accuracy thereof or endorse the views or opinions given by Adfero Ltd, unless expressly stated otherwise.