Thames seeks tunnellers for Teddington

Thames Water has issued a tender notice for the tunnelling and connection works for its Teddington Direct River Abstraction project, which would provide up to 75m litres of water each day during drought, supported by water recycling.

The company requires specialists who can deliver two tunnels including:  

• A 4.2km route using tunnel boring to connect the new water recycling plant and the River Thames, upstream of Teddington Weir.

• River abstraction and transfer to the existing Thames Lee Tunnel (TLT): the river abstraction would be located approximately 175m upstream of the proposed new outfall. The abstracted river flow would be conveyed to the TLT through a smaller diameter (up to 2.2m ID) pipe installed using a pipe jacking technique.

The Teddington scheme is designated as of national significance. The project would enable the company to abstract more water from the River Thames during periods of drought, upstream of Teddington Weir. The water would be transferred along a new connecting pipeline to an existing underground tunnel before joining the Lee Valley reservoirs in East London, ready to become drinking water.

To replenish the river, highly treated recycled water would be transferred from the Mogden sewage treatment works and released into the River Thames at a new discharge location upstream of Teddington Weir.

Construction is anticipated to start in 2029, subject to planning approval.