The guides told us some
disgusting and funny
stories, including how
they have to go into the
tunnels in a small boat
to check the condition of
the tunnels and surfaces;
just the two of them, they
said, down the ‘tunnel of
love’. What an image.
The Tour
After the safety briefings and a video about the history of the sewers, the door was
opened and we set forth into the tunnels. We were told that we were lucky to be going on
a Thursday evening, rather than a Saturday morning after all the beer and curry has been
tipped into the system! We went through various tunnels, bravely and gingerly peering into
the various tunnels and avoiding looking too closely at the murky water running past. In
every tunnel we saw, there were baby wipes, rags and old cloths stuck to the railings, or
floating past, having been flushed down toilets. Build ups of fat could be seen and these
were particularly gruesome, like some weird blob that grew out of the murky depths.
The tunnels themselves are washed down before each tour, and wiped down with
disinfectant. It was damp and you had to be careful where you trod and where you leant,
but it didn’t feel too dirty, particularly considering that it is a working sewer and it can flood
with heavy rain. There were varying sizes of tunnels, some with waste and water running
through it, others empty as part of the overflow system. A small natural stream runs
through the tunnels. The best part of the tour was walking down an 8 foot storm water
overflow sewer. This led through the darkness and you could imagine yourself back in the
Victorian times, or encountering some weird creatures. We didn’t of course, not even a rat.
The guides told us some disgusting and funny stories, including how they have to go into
the tunnels in a small boat to check the condition of the tunnels and surfaces; just the two
of them, they said, down the ‘tunnel of love’. What an image.
We also heard about the difficulties the guides and other workers face in keeping the
sewers running, against the mass of baby wipes, rags and fat which is flushed down the
toilet or dumped in the sewers. Blockages are difficult to clear and can cost millions of
pounds to deal with. Although baby wipes and other items claim they are flushable, they
clearly aren’t dissolvable. Southern Water can trace where persistent littering comes from,
and have and will prosecute. It is now a criminal offence as well as a civil matter, and they
take this very seriously.
The tour ended by climbing up a ladder and out into the daylight, blinking, and surprising
the passing tourists by appearing out of a manhole by the fountain at the Old Steine.
Now when I walk down near the pier, I can imagine what is underneath, having explored
the tunnels below. It gave us all an appreciation of the scale of the whole underground
system and how vital it all is, even if it is a little unsavoury! As Lisa from our group
commented at the end of our tour, Brighton Sewers has really changed our society and it
gave us all a warm glow (despite the foul smell) of thankfulness that the water treatment
works and the sewers exist!
By Miranda Jenkins
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