The answer from the Principal Programme Manager from the Mayor of London's office

Mayor of London

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To rhamnus@hotmail.co.uk

Dear Rhamnus

Thank you for your follow up email.  I examined the webpage article and found nothing that appeared to be a practical solution to our problems in London.  The idea of a vacuum sewer does not appear to be at all practical for the London case.  However I will discuss this with Thames Water officers next time I meet them as I don't believe that it has been considered in any detail.  I would expect the disadvantages to be that it would involve laying the vacuum pipes in every street in London, causing enormous disruption, that the system would be prone to blockage or failure through an abuse of materials discharged to it and that it is not suitable for the scale of problem that London faces.

Thank you for your interest.

Yours

Kevin Reid
Principal Programme Manager

That was a pretty dissapointing answer, and although at least Mr Reid seems to be honest, he may not realize that, the worst part of it, he is going to discuss the issue with Thames Water officers!!?? What is he going to expect from them other than to defend their own project??!!! I was hoping for something more like 'I will pass your concerns to the Thames Tunnel Commission' or something along these lines. Anyway, it is clear from his answer that I will not get a right answer from him, so I'll have to try the commission directly and see what happens then.