APPALLED OCEAN ROWER BACKS SUPERSEWER
Roz Savage, the ocean rower, has appealed for opponents
of a super sewer for London to take the long-term view, saying: 'We
need to accept some short-term pain for the long-term
gain.'
The 44-year-old told a House of Commons reception, hosted by
environmentalist and Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith, that London's
antiquated sewer network is a 'disgusting embarrassment' that needs
tackling urgently.
Goldsmith said: 'The existing sewer system is remarkable, given
that it is 160 years old. But it needs an overhaul. We put enough
raw sewage into the river to fill the Albert Hall 450 times, and
that has to stop.' He said: 'In addition to the environmental
imperative, this project will create thousands of local jobs, and
high quality apprenticeships, and contribute to getting us back on
track economically.'
The Westminster event followed an inspection of one of the
overflow vents. Roz Savage rowed under Putney Bridge to see for
herself the human effluent, sanitary items and other detritus that
run from the combined sewer overflow beneath the busy Thames
crossing, just yards away from riverside restaurants and
prestigious rowing clubs.
Savage, the first woman to row across the Atlantic, Pacific and
Indian oceans, braved London's waters in her role as ambassador for
Thames Tunnel Now (TTN) - a coalition of 18 environmental groups
who support the proposed Thames Tunnel, which will stop sewage
entering the river.
After her trip to see the Putney sewer overflow, she addressed a
TTN reception at the House of Commons attended by nearly 200
supporters of the project. She said: 'It's a disgusting
embarrassment that we are dumping hundreds of thousands of tonnes
of sewage into the river every week. It is also a serious health
hazard and I hate to think what visitors to the Olympics will
think. I've rowed through some pretty grim stuff on my travels but
the Thames is heart-breakingly returning to the open sewer it used
to be 200 years ago. The Thames Tunnel cannot come soon
enough.'
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