The Government has backed plans for an 18-mile tunnel costing £2billion to be built preventing raw sewage from polluting the Thames.

Environment Minister Ian Pearson yesterday said the Government supported Thames Water's plan to build the tunnel from Hammersmith, West London to Beckton, in East London with an addition spur tunnel from Abbey Mills in Stratford to Beckton.

The plans also include a construction shaft in Chiswick.

The completed tunnel will weave through Wandsworth, Westminster and onto Beckton.

Despite the Government's backing, industry watchdog Ofwat is concerned about the effect on customer's bills.

According to reports the tunnel could result in an extra £37 to household water bills.

The tunnel is due to be completed in 2020 and will catch around 52million cubit metres of waste waters which currently pollutes the Thames and the Lee every year.

Thames Water's Chief Executive Officer, David Owens, said: "We will now focus on delivering this massive and challenging engineering project as efficiently as possible, to minimise the impact on our customers' bills. This is the subject of ongoing discussions with our economic regulator, Ofwat, who is responsible for setting price limits."

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