MP opens new riverside destination created as part of super sewer project
Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, formally opened the latest piece of public space built as part of the super sewer project on Friday.
The super sewer, which was fully switched on in February, has already prevented seven million tonnes of sewage from spilling into the River Thames.
And while the new infrastructure carries out its work below ground, above ground, Tideway – the company behind the project – has opened its latest area of riverside public space.
The new ‘twin’ spaces have been built on the southern banks of the Thames close to Vauxhall Bridge, and offer stunning new vistas of the river, with Parliament and the London Eye visible in the east, and Battersea Power station in the west.
And to mark the opening, Ms Eshalomi was joined by local councillors and engineers working on the site, as the group toured the new public spaces – Effra Quay and the Isle of Effra.
Tideway Deputy CEO Matt Parr accompanied the group, and said: “It was a privilege to welcome Ms Eshalomi to open this new public space, and a special moment to share this unique, never-before-seen view of some iconic London landmarks.
“Effra Quay, as well as the smaller Isle of Effra, are wonderful and impressive new parts of London, and I’m confident that they will be enjoyed by Londoners and visitors for generations to come.
“With three of the seven new public riverside spaces now open, and more than seven million tonnes of storm sewage captured by the new infrastructure, this year truly marks a new chapter in the history of the River Thames.”
Opening the site to the public also means the reinstatement of the Thames Path in the area, allowing pedestrians to begin reconnecting with the newly-clean River Thames.
The event marks the opening of the third riverside public space following events at Putney and Chelsea.
Florence Eshalomi MP said: “It was a pleasure to open this wonderful new space on the banks of the Thames in Vauxhall, and meet the Tideway team.
"The super sewer’s activation in February was a landmark moment for the environmental sustainability of London. It has also created new employment opportunities for the next generation, many of whom will be young people in my constituency.
"After ten years of construction, it’s fantastic to know that below ground this new infrastructure is protecting our precious river – and above ground is offering Londoners completely new views of the city.
"Through modern design, spaces like this that would previously have been consumed by the water network can also be of public value. It is a shining example that practical public infrastructure does not have to be ugly, or a blight on the landscape. I congratulate all involved.”
Effra Quay and the Isle of Effra were named after one of London’s ‘lost rivers’, which was repurposed as the Brixton Storm Relief CSO and discharged sewage beneath Vauxhall Bridge during periods of rainfall.
The site is one of the largest of the new public spaces being created as part of the Tideway project.
It includes subtle references to the vital infrastructure below – most prominently in a large ring incorporated into the brickwork paving, which shows the location of the site’s 16m-wide shaft, buried beneath.
Elsewhere, part of the site’s lighting changes colour in rhythm with the rising and falling of the Thames tide.
With the works now complete, the new underground infrastructure ensures that the harmful effects of sewage pollution in the Thames are virtually eliminated.
Jose Anton, Project Manager at Albert Embankment, said: “It’s fantastic to finally open this space after so many years of planning and hard work from the whole team.
“I think Londoners are really going to enjoy it — and of all the public spaces created by the Tideway project, this one has the best sunset.”
Tideway began connecting the 25km super sewer to the existing network in 2024, and by February 2025, the system was fully connected and protecting the Thames from sewage pollution.
To date, the system has diverted 7,054,717 tonnes of storm sewage which would have historically spilled into the River Thames.
At Effra Quay, a worksite known as Albert Embankment Foreshore was required to connect the existing Brixton and Clapham spill points, which together spilled around 300,000 tonnes of sewage in an average year, into the new super sewer.
In addition to the vital infrastructure below ground, and the new public space at ground level, the site will also be home to an area of intertidal planting, with a range of fauna that will benefit from the healthier water in the Thames.
More than a dozen species of marine plants – including rushes, sedges and grasses – have been planted within coir rolls at locations either side of Vauxhall Bridge.
The site is also home to two ‘signature ventilation columns’, which appear at many Tideway sites, and feature inlaid, bronze-cast poetry written by Dorothea Smartt.
Albert Embankment sits among the central section of the Tideway project, managed by a joint venture of Ferrovial Construction UK and Laing O’Rourke Construction.
Bernard Collier, CEO of Vauxhall One Business Improvement District, said: "It’s clear that a great deal of work has gone into designing the new public spaces at Effra Quay.
"They are beautifully finished and make a fabulous addition to the Vauxhall landscape. We’re happy to see this stretch of the Thames Path reopen again, allowing more people to enjoy the riverside bars and restaurants at St George Wharf and unique views towards Battersea Power Station and the Houses of Parliament."