London super sewer documentary digs into human stories
A new documentary charts the highs, lows and extraordinary challenges behind the building of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, nicknamed the 'super sewer'.
Filmed over eight years, Beneath Your Feet - the Thames Tideway Tunnel Story, chronicles dramatic events with unprecedented access to the teams, sites and historical archives. The human and engineering challenges behind the construction of one the most complex civil engineering projects ever undertaken in the UK are told first-hand by the people who built it, including the moment a 1,200-tonne tunnelling machine passed beneath Tower Bridge.
“This is not just a film about concrete and tunnelling – it is about the people behind the project and the challenges they were forced to overcome."
Produced by In The Dark Productions, the film was granted editorial independence, capturing the jeopardy faced throughout construction.
Director Endaf Jones said, “It has been a privilege to see the construction of the super sewer up close, so to have the opportunity to produce this feature-length film is truly fantastic. This is not just a film about concrete and tunnelling – it is about the people behind the project and the challenges they were forced to overcome, the problems they solved, and their reflections on delivering a mega-project in one of the world’s most vibrant cities.”
The construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel began in 2016 as a long-term solution to river pollution and the urgent need for sustainable drainage systems in the face of climate change and growing environmental pressures.
The tunnel is 25km (15.5 miles) long, and designed to intercept, store, and transfer sewage away from the River Thames. It runs parallel to the Thames and is a key part of modernising London's sewer system, having become fully operational in February 2025 and officially opened by King Charles III on 7 May 2025.
The documentary shines a light on moments of uncertainty, ingenuity, and resilience that shaped the project, from critical engineering challenges to the human stories of those who built it.
Featuring candid interviews with frontline workers, engineers and leaders – including Tideway chief executive Andy Mitchell, it explores what it means to take on a project of unprecedented scale, under the streets of one of the world’s busiest cities.
Beneath Your Feet, the Thames Tideway Tunnel Story is available via Amazon Prime Video, with a portion of the proceeds going to river-based London charities.