In the summer of 1858, a period of intense heat combined with decades of raw sewage being pumped directly into the Thames produced an intolerable stench that permeated the entire city. Members of Parliament soaked the curtains of the Palace of Westminster in chloride of lime to make the building usable. The event became known as the Great Stink.
Joseph Bazalgette’s Solution
The Great Stink finally galvanised Parliament into action. Chief engineer Joseph Bazalgette was authorised to build a new sewerage system for London. Over the following 15 years, he constructed 1,700 kilometres of sewers beneath London’s streets, intercepting the outflow that had been going into the Thames and carrying it downstream. The system he built still handles much of London’s sewage today.
The Embankment
The Victoria Embankment, built between 1864 and 1870, was a direct consequence of Bazalgette’s sewerage scheme — it was constructed to house the main interceptor sewers and reclaimed 37 acres of land from the Thames in the process. The riverside walk you enjoy today between Westminster and Blackfriars was his creation.
Leave a Reply