They call her Busy Lizzie

This week I went to London to visit a project called the Lee Tunnel.  The project is associated with the upgrades to the wastewater system in London.  Wastewater = sewage

You may not know this, but the wastewater system in London is Victorian age and overflows into the river Thames 50+ times per year.  As a result, there is a big construction project to build a system to handle the overflow. 

The new system consists of shafts and tunnels that will redirect, slow down and hold an overflow, but an overflow will still happen on occasion, 3-4 times per year.  Lee tunnel is one of a series of systems that are planned.

We were going down to look at a safety program they had implemented, but I was very excited about seeing the project in general, and it did not disappoint.  After spending the morning talking safety, we got all dressed up to enter the tunnel.

We also got our safety training on our rebreather, which is a pack you must carry around your neck, and in the event that there is an event in the tunnel that compromises the air system, you put it on and it converts your exhalation into air you can breath - unfortunately, it often makes you sick.  It last 30 minutes if you are freaking out and 3 hours if you are not freaking out.

Dressed up, we go to the shaft and head 80 meters down to the bottom. 

The stacked crescents are 7 ton concrete lining sections

In addition to digging the tunnel, it also must be lined with a concrete liner. The logistics are AMAZING.  It was a hive of activity even though there is a safety limit on how many people can be in the tunnel - can't be more than 30 - it definitely seemed like more.

Big yellow pipe is air - the other pipes manage slurry

At the bottom, we get in a little 'train' and get transported 3 kilometers into the earth, which is about 25% of the full distance that will ultimately be required.  This is how the guys get out to the drill every day, and it is covered with white chalk.

In the train - Speedy is my rebreather

Looking out the front on the way in

I was sitting in the back, but one of the guys noticed me craning my neck to look out the window and so he came and got me and gave me his seat looking out the window.  They built all of this tunnel.  The longer the ride was every morning the more tangible the result of their effort.

For the record, I am not sure they have EVER had 3 women in the tunnel at one time.  There are no women on the tunneling crew, except for...

At the face, there is the control room, the equipment and system for installing the liner and of course, there was Busy Lizzie.  Lizzie is the specialty German built drill that is making this hole.  This is the only job she will ever do - job done, she'll return to Germany and be taken apart.  

At the construction end of the tunnel - Lizzie is on the other side of all of the equipment

Once installed, you really can't see Lizzie.  She does her work without being seen - so like a woman.  I think the guys would says she may not be seen, but she requires a lot of maintenance, attention, and care - so like a woman.  

Just so you know, I thought the day was completely spectacular.