Letter to the editor: As a Londoner, an environmentalist and a keen dragon-boater, kayaker and sailor, I live and breathe the river Thames.

To me, the river is London, it is why the city is located where it is, and why it has created the world-leading capital we have today.

Take away the river, and you take not only the life but also the soul out of London.

I am passionate about the river Thames, which is why I am the chief executive of the waterways charity, Thames21.

The government has agreed to grant permission for construction to start on the Thames Tideway tunnel, or “super sewer”.

This is a 25km tunnel that will run underneath the river, across London, to take away the millions of tonnes of raw sewage that pollute the Thames every year.

While critics have argued for other ways to clean the river, which they say will be cheaper, it was a relief when I heard this project had the go-ahead.

The planning process in England is there for a reason, but to me, the “super sewer” is essential to keep London alive.

Talking about sewage is not glamorous. You flush the toilet and do not want to think about where it goes, but when the truth is that is goes straight in to London’s river, it is something we simply cannot ignore.

Let us stop avoiding the problem, we need to tackle it – and if that costs me a small increase on my water bill, it is a cost worth paying.

DEBBIE LEACH, Thames21