Barhale has been awarded a significant contract worth £36m to upgrade part of London’s sewer infrastructure. The project will focus on enhancing the Northern Outfall Sewer (NOS), which plays a critical role in the city’s water management. Construction will be phased to minimise disruption to sewer services and the local community while ensuring structural improvements.
- The Northern Outfall Sewer, a crucial element of London’s water infrastructure, will undergo essential remediation.
- Barhale will utilise cutting-edge methods, involving offsite manufacture of stainless steel components, to achieve quality and precision.
- Phased construction will ensure the sewer functions continuously, avoiding major disruptions to transport.
- The project will extend the sewer’s life by 120 years, integrating seamlessly with the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
Barhale has been awarded a £36m contract to undertake vital improvements on a section of London’s historic Northern Outfall Sewer (NOS). This significant project involves both the design and construction of enhancements aimed at strengthening the sewer’s structure, which is situated above key transport lines like the Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway at Manor Road, West Ham. The improvements primarily focus on employing stainless steel pipes that will be manufactured offsite, a strategic decision aimed at eliminating the need for onsite welding and maintaining high standards of quality.
The extensive NOS, stretching 7.5km, serves as a conduit for sewage to the Beckton Sewage Treatment Centre from a 300km catchment area. Barhale’s phased approach to construction will ensure that sewer flows remain uninterrupted throughout the project, a critical aspect underscored by Barhale senior contracts manager Jaimie Lawson. Lawson highlighted the project’s design intent to avoid disruptions to the rail infrastructure and road traffic, ensuring local community impacts are minimal.
An intriguing feature of the NOS is its five-barrel design, conceived by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in the 1860s, with each barrel measuring 2.7 metres in diameter. The construction plan ensures that at no point will more than two barrels be out of service, allowing the sewer to operate continuously. Additionally, Barhale will conduct surveys of the sewers’ cast iron pipes and hangers, facilitating potential replacements or refurbishments if necessary.
The NOS is more than just a sewer; it underpins the popular Greenway footpath, intertwining with various aspects of community life. The project aims to reinforce this integration by minimising disturbances to the community’s routine usage of both the sewer and footpath. Barhale’s water director for the southern region, Shane Gorman, emphasised the collaboration with Thames Water to execute this essential infrastructure update, which connects to the broader Thames Tideway Tunnel initiative.
The ultimate goal of this project is not only to repair but also to future-proof the sewer system, extending its operational life by a century and beyond. This long-term enhancement will significantly contribute to maintaining the reliability of London’s water infrastructure, ensuring it meets the demands of modern urban living.
This major infrastructure project will bolster London’s sewer system, contributing significantly to the city’s long-term water management strategy.
