According to opponents of the scheme, Thames has three options:

• Blighting the lives of more than 1,600 Fulham residents
• using less than 2 per cent of a vast open space in Barn Elms
• finding another solution to cleaning up the Thames.

The Thames Tunnel super sewer has sparked protests from riverside communities from Hammersmith to Beckton  who want to prevent Thames Water from pressing ahead with the multi-billion sewer project.

At a question and answer session organised by a local residents' association Thames Water staff , including Phil Stride, head of the Tunnel project, dealt with a series of questions from over 200 local people who attended the meeting.

The opponents, who are backed by Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council – believe Barn Elms, the other potential location to hold the shaft site, is more suitable as it is less densely populated and would have a far smaller human impact.

Thames Water has acknowledged that just 2 per cent of the open land at Barn Elms would be needed – leaving 98% for recreation and leisure activities. Thames Water identified Carnwath Road as a possible sewer construction site in April, and is expected to formally name a small riverside plot as a possible site for their main super sewer drive shaft next month.

Nigel Henson, from RATS (Residents Against Thames Sewer), said:

“The case has not satisfactorily been made for either the current deep tunnel concrete solution and certainly not for using Carnwath Road. RATS has put in a detailed submission to Thames Water explaining why south Fulham is not suitable.

“Thames Water now has a choice between using a densely populated residential street or a small section of a vast area of open space where almost no people will be directly affected.”

Mr Stride said there were ‘no any easy options’ when selecting construction sites for the sewer and tried to reassure residents by saying: “No decisions have been taken about construction sites. This is a genuine consultation and we are still evaluating Carnwath Road as an alternative to Barns Elms.”

Mr Stride said the second phase of Thames Water’s sewer site selection consultation would start on November 3 – just days after Lord Selborne’s Thames Tunnel Commission is due to make its final recommendations public.

Hammersmith and Fulham council has been fighting against the whole idea of the super sewer and against locating the main entry site works in south Fulham, within 440 yards of family homes and local schools.

Speaking at the meeting Cllr Nick Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader, said:

“When will Thames Water realise that no means no? Respected professors and industry experts have come forward to say there are other – cheaper and greener – ways to clean up the river. 14 million Thames Water customers face an extra £100 a year on top of their current bills for life to pay for this gold-plated scheme. Locally residents have mounted a valiant campaign, backed by the council, to show Thames Water why Carnwath Road is totally unsuitable as a sewer construction site.

“It remains the council's view that, if this grandiose vanity project is not shelved, the main construction shaft needs to be located in a large area of open space well away from homes and businesses.”