120-year-old Brixton sewer to be repaired and upgraded by Thames Water

Part of a 120-year-old sewer is being repaired and upgraded in a programme of upgrades across the capital.

A section of the clay pipeline in Brixton– built in about 1900 when Queen Victoria was still on the throne – has collapsed under the road outside the parade of shops in Elm Park.

Thames Water engineers will remove the damaged part and replace it with new section that will last well into the next century.

Work is due to start today (June 28) and is scheduled to be completed by July 16.

To ensure the work is carried out quickly and efficiently, Elm Park will be closed between Craster Road and Leander Road. Clearly signed diversions will be in place.

Carl Leadbeater, Thames Water regional network manager, said: “We’re sorry residents and business owners may be inconvenienced by these works, but it’s essential we repair the broken sewer.

“If we don’t act now, the blockage caused by the broken pipe could cause sewage to back up into people’s homes.”

Letters have been sent to residents and businesses informing them of the work.

Carl added: “This pipe is just one of the many thousands of miles of sewers built by the Victorians across London.

“Their engineering is truly incredible, but climate change and population growth are putting huge pressures on the ageing network.

“Because of this, we’re investing heavily to upgrade the system, including more than £4 billion on London’s new ‘super sewer’, the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

“When it opens in 2025, the 15-mile-long tunnel will intercept at least 94 per cent of the millions of tonnes of sewage that overflows into the Thames every year from the 

overloaded Victorian system, cleaning up the river for Londoners who enjoy it, and the wildlife which relies on it.”