SPECIAL WORKS
Barhale to reinforce strategic West-East London water main
Barhale have been selected to reinforce a section of what was once believed to the longest tunnel in Europe and a key source of raw water for East London.
The strategically important Thames Lee Tunnel (TLT) was built between 1955 and 1959 to carry water fromthe River Thames at HamptonWaterWorks to Lockwood Pumping Station at the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain. The 19-mile (31 km) tunnel, runs at a depth of 68 to 190 feet (21 to 58m) and passes through 24 access shafts of 12 feet (3.7m) diameter. It was designed to transfer 120million imperial gallons (550megalitres) of water per day.
The contract will see civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale reinforce a 70metre length of the 102- inch (2.6m) diameter concrete-lined tunnel watermain where it runs across the route of HS2 in North London.
The location of the works will necessitate an unusually long concrete pump – 800mhorizontal plus the almost 50metre depth of the Barrow Hill shaft at Primrose Hill – to the site of the works. Barhale has been working with Caumford to design a bespoke pumping solution.
Shane Gorman, Barhale’sWater Director – Southern Region, highlighted the importance of the Thames Lee Tunnel as part of London’s water infrastructure.
“The need for the TLT was identified both to address drought conditions and
30 | July 2023 |
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tomeet the requirements of new housing and development in East London after the SecondWorldWar,”he said. “Formore than sixty years it has played an essential role transporting water across the capital and these works are an importantmeasure to reinforce a key part of London’s water distribution network.
“The section we are working on offers some additional challenges: the actual site of the relining is an unusually long distance froman access shaft and the levels of service and utility congestion in Camdenmeans that we can’t sink
boreholes. So designing a concrete- pumping solution that will work over more than half amile has been a key focus.
“We have worked closely with Thames Water on the design and scheduling of this project. Such is the strategic importance of the Thames Lee Tunnel that outages can only be scheduled for certain times of the year and they are contingent upon general storage levels across the rest of the network.
“We have now identified a suitable window and look forward to successful completion in February 2024.”
Top of Lockwood Shaft,Walthamstow – site for draindown prior to relining of TLT
w
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