Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
New river drop in session?
Does anyone have details of this week's information session about repairing leaks in the New River which was mentioned in a previous thread?
Tags for Forum Posts: new river
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Also in events here. Not promising that they can't be bothered to get the correct spelling of Woodberry Down.
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Permalink Reply by JamesN on
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Close to 20 Thames Water reps from several different departments. Clear and logical explanations. The company has a deservedly terrible reputation, as do all water companies... but this piece of maintenance is not a sensible target for ire.
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I wasn't able to go. Was the explanation straightforward enough for you to offer a simple explanation about what they're doing, what the effect might be for wildlife and what it will look like for locals?
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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I wasn't able to get there either, so hoping someone might be able to summarise the situation. Or perhaps Thames Water will issue details.
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Caveat: This won't cover everything and just reflects what I was told.
A couple of points I think provide helpful context with regard to their intended plans. Firstly, the scheme is referred by the government to an independent engineer who provides the recommended techniques and materials for the works. Thames Water could choose not to follow these recommendations, but would then assume financial liability for any resulting problems. So they seem quite tied to guidelines they receive.
Secondly, in relation to biodiversity issues, Thames Water is bound in law to have these works meet a biodiversity net gain target of +10%.
I spoke to an operations manager in charge of the New River, reservoirs, and water works. And a project manager for these works. They explained that most of the section between FP and SS rd. will be relined with sheet piling (steel) and that two parts of the section will be lined with u-shaped concrete. These short concrete lengths are to cover the parts of the river under which services are currently running.
Leaks are significant in this stretch and have been quantified. Works have been carried out in the recent past which caught and channelled much of the leaking water into sewers. This still puts the bank at risk and remains a significant waste of drinking water.
The NR supplies about 8% of London's drinking water but has proven to be a crucial stop gap in recent years' droughts (particularly as the reservoirs in West London fell). For this reason, the effective flow and functioning of the NR is deemed important.
The thick stretch of reed beds don't aid in this and also contribute to the pooling (flooding) in the lower sections of FP, around Endymion. There will be obvious short-term environmental impact from the works but the expectation (and legal requirement) is that an improved diversity of life will return to the section of the NR. This is not a river, but a man made water course (and therefore, environmentally imperfect by definition)
They politely dismissed any idea that these works were required as a result of the Rowley Gardens redevelopment. They also suggested that as most of the the leaking water was already being diverted from the ground beneath homes that there was no expectation of subsidence issues. But that was going to be properly assessed.
I saw a couple of slightly triumphalist tweets from the NR renewal people. From what I can gather from their previous assumptions about of the works and TW's details, they didn't really effect any change. But TW acknowledged that their messaging had been poor, especially given the heightened tensions surrounding water companies. They were happy to have their explanation of what was planned be framed as a concession to local demands.
Detailed explanations of revised planning and Implementation process provided by TW
— New River Renewal Campaign (@newriverrenewal) September 15, 2023
Biodiversity issues have been recognised by TW who appear to be addressing them.Thames Water drops plan to concrete bed of New River SSR to Finsbury Park.
— New River Renewal Campaign (@newriverrenewal) September 15, 2023
Excellent drop-in meeting last night with Thames Water - new viable river plan presented.
TW redrafted NR plan, which appear much more sensitive and far less intrusive and disruptive.
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