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Thames has begun a trial using smart technology that monitors sewers and alerts the company if problems emerge before they cause blockages.

More than 300 smart devices will be installed in West Ham and Harlesden in London, and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire with the potential to grow the trial later in the year.

The devices are fitted under manhole covers to measure the depth of wastewater underneath and alert the control room if levels rise, which could be due to a blockage. If an alert is triggered the team of engineers can respond to unclog the blockage before a pollution incident occurs.

The company said the monitors will help build a digital twin of the trial network area to give a clearer picture of what is happening underground.

Anna Boyles, Thames operations manager, said: “These new sewer level monitors are the very latest bits of kit – they’ve only just come onto the market. They have a longer battery life, are smaller and easier to install. The data they provide will give us a much better picture of what’s happening in our sewers and will help us to nip blockages in the bud before they cause problems.”

The west London borough of Hounslow had more sewer blockages than any other local authority last year with more than 3,150 blockages between November 2019 and October 2020. In the Thames Valley area, Swindon came out worst with 1,332 blockages.

The company spends an average of £18 million every year clearing 75,000 blockages from its sewers and removing 30 tonnes of material from just one of its sewage works every day.