Surely the Olympic Bid team and the Mayor of London and the Government must have been aware of the potential sewage problem as soon as the the Olympic complex site was chosen ?
Was this information hidden from the International Olympic Committee ?
The Guardian reports:
Sewage overflows threaten London OlympicsMatt Weaver
Thursday January 19, 2006The government is drawing up urgent measures to stop the London Olympics being swamped in millions of gallons of sewage.
Ministers have set up a working group to "urgently consider" how to avoid sewage overflows backing up the river Lee, which runs through the Olympic site.
It comes after a report for the government warned that the games could be ruined by the sight and smell of overflowing sewage from London's outdated drainage system.
The study by Thames tideway strategy group found that even a moderate summer storm would overflow the drains, and send sewage up the river Lee on the tide.
The Olympics site is close to the biggest sewage overflow pumping station in London. The tideway group warned last November that there was currently a 100% chance of sewage overflows in the area between May and October.
To cope with the problem the tideway group recommended that the government build a £1.7bn "super sewer" under the Thames, stretching 22 miles from Hammersmith to Barking.
But the water regulator Ofwat has urged ministers to look at other options, because building a super sewer would add £45 to the annual water bills of Londoners. A separate study, commissioned by Ofwat, warned that the super sewer would be a risky construction project.
[...]
Another £45 a year in taxes !
For how long ?
I was a bit of a drainage specialist, but
your problems could be solved. Read my web www.tsunamiwatch.co.uk and worry about something FAR worse.
Please make sure Ken reads it and ask why the Government are doing NOTHING.
Dear 'Site Olympic Sewage' concerns,
I am interested in your concerns on building the Olympics on top of outdated sewage drains/ unstable lands and overflowing canals. The class system has relied on East London for centuries (and to date) to be the land of bad odours, pollution, contaminated lands, blighting, claustrophobic power lines, complex river systems, poor education levels, health, unemployment, housing and I hate to add, etc to the problems now.
I would like to know in what expertise do you speak from? I am a film-maker making a documentary about the coming situation of East London and I am looking for people to participate in a series of interviews on location. I would be delighted to hear from anyone that is interested. Of course it would never get to TV but I will be screening it at the Royal College of Art in June. Many thanks.
The London Debate is taking place at ITV studios on Wednesday 10th May. They need people with your opinions and concerns to take part and voice our concerns directly to the Mayor.
Questions need to be answered but they need to be asked first. Email stateoflondondebate@itv.com
Don't forget the massive house building programmes in Stevenage and in Harlow threaten to overwhelm Rye Meads sewage works in Hoddesdon upstream of Stratford as well.
Hello,
I was just going to e mail to ask Mr. Livingstone how he can justify stinging the people of London for the olympics.[I know he's been asked many times and will continue to be, but so far I haven't heard a decent answer yet. If it's going to be so good for the whole country, why aren't the whole country paying instead of just the London boroughs?] But then I read about the sewage problem and that just about confirms my suspicions. Mr. Livingstone, apart from squeezing us til the pips squeak to pay for it, now intends dumping on us Londoners from a great height!! "It's going to be great for us all" he says, but when you look closer it will benefit Newham mostly [thats where all the jobs are being advertised first] then a few other boroughs with the transport system etc., but where does that leave boroughs like mine, Havering? iv'e not heard about anything coming our way, but we're still having to pay.I moved from Newham recently, didn't want to, but couldn't stand it any longer like many others!, and we're what Mr. Livingstone loves to go on about-'the working class`. Between him and the joker with the morals of a rabbit,Mr Prescott we are seriously being bled dry. They talk about finance as though it's monopoly money, there to be thrown around how and when they like with no concern about the hardships it's causing. Mr. Brown is doing his part by destroying what little we have left in the way of pensions. Be warned Mr. Livingstone, if you continue along the path your on there is going to be anarchy in London, and I never EVER thought there would be a time when I would ever endorse that situation. BUT I'M VERY CLOSE TO IT NOW!!!Even a sponge gets to a point when it can't soak up any more.