Thames Water How can a red light in Leeds green-light a super sewer in London?

Amey is responsible for the design, construction, installation and testing of the system which controls the operation of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The SCADA system regulates the gravity feed of effluent from West to East at a rate that can be processed by the plant at Beckton. Sensors measure the levels in each section and the system controls the flow by opening and controlling penstocks (sluice gates) at 21 locations along the length of the sewer to regulate the flow of effluent.

Amey is managing the installation of a telemetry panel, 3G antenna and BT Openreach telecommunications equipment at each of the sites: the work is carried out by specialist contractors under Amey supervision. Amey is responsible for the design of each installation and post installation testing at each site. Risk assessments, method statements and test protocols must be approved by the client prior to installation. Where SCADA equipment is being installed on existing Thames Water sites, their approval must also be obtained to ensure continued functionality of existing systems is maintained. Control and monitoring of the 21 sites is affected by a control centre at Beckton consisting of two servers, one of which operates in “hot standby” mode. Systems resilience is achieved using two hardwired BT Openreach connections: 3G antennas provide further redundancy. Control and monitoring of the Beckton site can be achieved from four further sites that connect to the system. In all Amey is installing equipment at 26 worksites.

As a high-profile infrastructure asset, it must be anticipated that the system will, at some stage, come under cyber-attack. Amey is implementing appropriate cyber security policies to ensure that the assets are as secure as possible. Cyber security within a process controls environment is not the norm but by considering these aspects from the outset, Amey is ensuring that the IT infrastructure and its management is suitable for the challenges of the 21st century where digital security is as important, if not more so, than the physical security of assets.

Amey brings a wealth of experience in this area of cyber security; building upon knowledge gained through providing highways infrastructure and implementing secure communications networks that meet ISO27001 requirements, CPNI guidelines and best practice for process controls networks. The use of automated failover network paths and dual-redundant server and PLC architectures ensures the fully integrated system is highly resilient and highly available.

“The River Thames is one of the world’s most iconic rivers and the lifeblood in making London the global city it is today. However, London currently relies on a 150-year-old sewer system built for a population less than half its current size. Amey is incredibly proud to be playing a leading role alongside our alliance partners in upgrading Bazalgette’s Victorian sewage system and providing a cleaner Thames for the people of London and the South-East. This project demonstrates the true value of investing in infrastructure, by cleaning and enhancing our natural world, for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive in, for generations to come.”