A wide range of organisations and interested parties are backing the London Tideway Tunnels. Here, some of them explain why.
"CBI London supports the London Tideway Tunnels - it is a crucial part of modernising London's infrastructure and protecting the urban environment, to ensure that, as London grows and develops, it remains a pre-eminent city in which to live, work and do business."
"The London Tideway Tunnels scheme is a crucial step towards safeguarding the future of the Thames and Lee rivers and their surrounding environments. These rivers have helped shape the identity of London and they continue to be enjoyed by many thousands of residents every day.
"I fully support this project to bring water quality into compliance with EU standards to ensure these rivers are cleaner and healthier for generations to come."
"The London Tideway Tunnels will support the efforts and dedication of the many thousands of Londoners who volunteer every year to clean-up, remove litter from and improve the River Thames and other London waterways.
"The tunnels will mark a huge improvement in the quality of our River Thames by dramatically increasing its cleanliness and creating a waterside environment to be enjoyed by all.
"The London Tideway Tunnels will introduce new possibilities to the River Thames, both for wildlife and for people visiting and using this great river. It is a huge step forward, and milestone in the development, improvement and history of London."
"The London Tideway Tunnels programme is a vital and imaginative plan to change the River Thames for the better; it rivals the scope and range of Bazalgette's enterprise, completed more than a century ago, and will do just as much to safeguard the cleanliness of the river and therefore the health of those who use it."
(Photograph: Charles Hopkins)
"My ancestor, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, implemented a visionary scheme for tackling London's sewage; in the process, cleansing the River Thames. Thames Water is now the inheritor of his legacy and invests billions to update and improve London's infrastructure. The London Tideway Tunnels are part of this process and old Sir Joe would have given the scheme a strong thumbs-up."
"The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports the plans for the London Tideway Tunnels as an essential part of London's 'hidden infrastructure', which will deliver significant benefits for businesses and ordinary Londoners through a cleaner Thames and a modern sewer system our city can be proud of.
"As a world-class, global city, London needs the right infrastructure to attract the best companies and people, whilst protecting the environment in which we all live."
"The Thames Estuary Partnership is a neutral body representing the interests of its wide-ranging membership. Concerns are regularly expressed by members about the aesthetic and health implications of sewage overflow into the Thames after periods of heavy rainfall and drainage system overload. The subsequent negative effects on Thames biodiversity also cause concern to those interested in freshwater or marine species. This also has implications for TEP's HLF-funded "Thames Discovery Programme", since this project encourages public involvement in monitoring fragile archaeological features exposed at low tide, while highlighting the central role of the Thames in London's history.
"Many TEP members welcome the London Tideway Tunnels proposal for its long-term benefits to Londoners involved with the Thames."
"The Thames Explorer Trust helps people get in touch with the river. We do this predominantly through educating children. Last year we brought over 12,000 children onto the Thames foreshore, to explore London's largest natural environment. Our efforts at creating a cleaner river are a vital part of creating a sustainable and environmentally secure future and we see the building of the London Tideway Tunnels as integral to this. We are pleased to add our voice in support."
"As a regular user of the River Thames for training, I wholly support the building of the London Tideway Tunnels. Clean rivers for all that enjoy and use them is so important, as well as protecting the natural habitat of the wildlife."
"The River Thames is London's biggest open space and an important natural asset. But the river cannot meet its full potential for people and wildlife as long as sewage flows straight into the river every time we get more than 2mm of rain. We support the London Tideway Tunnels because a world class capital city deserves a 21st century sewage system and a river to match. We will continue to work closely with Thames Water to ensure that both the construction and operation of the London Tideway Tunnels deliver maximum benefit for the environment."
"Representing recreational boaters, the Royal Yachting Association welcomes the London Tideway Tunnels proposal to improve the quality of the water in the rivers Lea and Thames."
"The London Tideway Tunnels are an essential piece of infrastructure for our growing capital. With this project, Thames Water is investing in London's future success, so it can remain the best city in the world in which to do business."
"Formed in 1962, the River Thames Society aims 'to protect and promote the River from its source to the sea'. Campaigns by us and others to reduce its pollution have generally been successful. Home to many species of fish and birdlife, the Thames is now cleaner than it has been for many years.
"The blot on this record has been the regular discharge of sewage from the combined sewer overflows into the river at times of wet weather - a legacy of Bazalgette's otherwise superb system.
"Our society fully supports the proposed London Tideway Tunnels and allied improvements to the capital's sewage treatment works."
Find out why London's sewer system is struggling to cope with the demands of the 21st century.
We're cleaning up the River Thames by increasing the amount of sewage we can treat, and improving the standards to which we treat it.
We're building a new four-mile sewer to capture sewage that would otherwise overflow into the River Lee during heavy rainfall.
The proposed Thames Tunnel will run up to 20 miles from west to east London, helping prevent sewage entering the River Thames.
Get the latest news and updates on our London Tideway Improvements project.
Read answers to the questions we frequently get asked about the London Tideway Improvements project.
View a selection of images of our London Tideway Improvements projects and see how the sewers looked over 100 years ago.
How to find out more about the London Tideway Improvements.
Thames Water is the UK's largest water and sewerage company, serving 14 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, and is proud to be an Official Provider to London 2012.
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