London Sewer Flooding Threat Banished

The Norland Square scheme, which was due to be completed in March next year, cost £6.1m. The scheme includes 540 metres of new sewers including one 280 metre-long, 1.5 metre-diameter tunnel. It will protect 109 homes around Norland Square and Holland Road from the misery of sewer flooding, which is when wastewater backs up in household drains.

Prunella Khalawan, Thames Water's project manager for Norland Square, said: "Finishing this work five months early means residents don't have to spend another Christmas with the dread of sewer flooding hanging over them. Residents in Kensington and Chelsea have, for many years, suffered with sewer flooding, as climate change brings heavier but less frequent rainfall and population growth and increased concreting-over of green spaces puts increasing strain on the area's ageing sewer network."

Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown, Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and Leisure at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said: "We're pleased that Thames Water's ambitious project to rebuild and modernise ageing drains under Norland Square has been completed four months ahead of schedule. Sewer flooding is truly miserable so it's excellent news that Norland Square residents will have peace of mind this Christmas."

For more information, please visit www.thameswater.co.uk.