Thames Water's million-page report on what caused floods of sewage, dead rats, and other detritus to ruin our homes and our health-physical, financial and mental is out....
It's a classic piece of corporate BULLSHIT the 'baby'of absentee Thames Water chairman, Ian Marchant, the much-criticised ex SSE CEO.
The 'midwife' was the now-departed Thames Water PR man, George Mayhew.
The three Review members are a lady living in Denmark....an ancient water engineer,retired and living in Yorkshire, and Mike Woolgar ably supported by a major Thames Water services provider, Mott Macdonald.
What could go wrong?
A massive volume of emerging evidence suggests homes were flooded with raw sewage because Thames Water failed to turn on vital pumps.
The insurance industry needs to hold its own review.
That review could find Thames Water guilty of gross negligence by not having engineers on-site to turn on pumps.
If anyone wants to give a view don't waste your time using the Report contact email....it will take up to 21 days to reply.
Email the organ grinder, Mike Woolgar
mike.woolgar@atkinsglobal.com
Just what we all expected....whitewash exonerating Thames Water
ReplyDeleteOn 12th July last year, flash flooding in London had been forecast for about 2 days. As a result, hundreds of RBKC residents were “gifted” in their homes with huge volumes of Thames Water's raw sewage. This means in their beds and their kitchens.
ReplyDeleteSince then, TW has churned out reams of propaganda - all amounting to: “Nuffin’ to do with us Guv!” However, while it’s easy to keep to an honest message, it’s impossible for a large organisation to keep its steaming piles of bullshit “straight.”
Thames Water has already publicly acknowledged that it omitted to turn on its massive pumps, by the Thames. It seems that rather than a central control room switch, it’s done by a man sent to Lots Rd to do it in person! He was doubtless provided with a donkey cart for the journey.
The minute the pumps were switched on, all the blackwater - the official euphemism for raw sewage - disappeared from RBKC homes, businesses and streets. TWs excuse for this delay was that the flood struck at high tide, so the pumps could not be used.. Analysis of the official figures for tidal flows that day proves this claim to be a lie.
Such blatant falsehoods may have worked with low income communities; but not with Holland Park residents. They investigated. It's high time RBKC stirred itself to fully engage with this issue. Because it is going to happen again.
However, well meaning, hiring a single flood officer - believed to be a former TW employee - is inadequate. It’s not thought that RBKC even knows how many properties were ruined.
Now TW has set up an “independent” investigation into itself - yet more bullshit.
Would someone (Felicity Buchan for instance?) please get their act together and deal rigorously with this desperately important issue?
ReplyDeleteThe true seriousness of events last July must be told. Blackwater is sewage contaminated water. Recovery is not about new furniture and clothes.
Even when it’s gone; blackwater is not gone. It’s poisonous and stays poisonous. Unless it’s specifically removed, the bacteria and viruses it contains remain inside a building and inside everything it has touched. It spreads potentially serious diseases. As ever, those without insurance, in poor quality housing, suffer most.
The same is true for the fungi spread by blackwater. Unless it’s removed, it poisons everything, including the air, food and walls. Homes are left toxic.
Thames Water are to blame for not turning on pumps. They are shitty as the shit that they allowed to flood our homes with
ReplyDeleteThe diagram of the Lots Road Pumping Station is a mess. Half the labelling is upside down, there isn't a key to the symbols or the upside down labels, and some of the pipe network is un-understandable, with at least one arrow apparently pointing in the wrong direction, crossovers being unclear as to whether they are junctions, stubs apparently going nowhere and there is a mysterious reference to a 'vacuum pump' which isn't identified.
ReplyDeleteMarchant, the chairman, is on full pay despite not being able to work and despite the fact he is worth many millions. Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge and unstoppable scandal. When will dizzy wake up and start to represent her rate payers? And start a campaign that will actually make something happen and secure restitution from Thames Water.
DeleteAnd just like GRENFELL - MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
And just like GRENFELL - what will dizzy do when it does happen again?
?????????
WAKE UP DIZZY. Stop your frothing
My Mansion Block in Kensington made a £160k damages claim against our buildings insurance as a result of the Thames Water flooding. Now our Buildings Insurance has increased from £40k per annum to £80k. Over ten years that is an additional burden on £400k for a few hard pressed tax payers. Thank you Thames Water.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the Tory Council doing to obtain justice from Thames Water? Nothing that I can see or hear. Where is my Council Tax going? What is it being used for?
ReplyDeleteHowever unconventional the literary style, Observer is correct. If not fully addressed now, Thames Water’s sewage floods will ultimately cost lives. Even last summer, it was said that an old lady refused offers of help to leave her flooded home. She apparently died shortly afterwards.
Dizzy is so aptly nicknamed. She’s as competent to run a London borough as Wayne Rooney is to address the General Assembly of the UN on - anything. Presumably, she’s Leader because her colleagues don’t hate her; it would be unkind.
From Holland Park Av. is it the view down Princedale Rd, or a nearby turning, over which the shrouded ghost of Grenfell Tower so unexpectedly looms? it certainly explains why RBKC is so keen to demolish the Tower. It reminds the rich of the deaths of the poor.
Waiting for RBKC to confront Thames Waters falsehoods will prove a waste of time.
OMG" reminds the Rich of the Deaths of the Poor" what a very sick world we live in
DeleteActually, the proposed memorial I have suggested to the Commission is based on the Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima - the ruin of the only building to survive semi-intact. I propose that the tower should be stripped right back to the concrete frame, everything loose removed so there is nothing to fall off, cleaned outside and in, and left as the memorial. If desired the bereaved could have special facilities to visit the shell of their flat whenever they wished.
ReplyDeleteWill it happen - probably not. But if the people of Hiroshima can do it, why not us?