The Great Stink: The Crisis That Transformed London
The scorching summer of 1858 turned the River Thames into a foul-smelling open sewer, creating what became known as the Great Stink. The odor was so overpowering that members of Parliament working in the nearby Palace of Westminster struggled to conduct business. Windows were covered, and curtains were soaked in chloride of lime in a largely futile attempt to mask the smell.
For years, engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, chief engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works, had promoted a comprehensive interceptor sewer system to carry London's sewage away from the city's drinking water. Although his plans were respected, they were slowed by debates over cost, competing proposals, and political delays. The Great Stink finally convinced Parliament that immediate action was unavoidable, and funding for Bazalgette's ambitious project was approved.
Completed over the following decade, Bazalgette's sewer network included more than 80 miles (130 km) of main intercepting sewers and hundreds of miles of smaller connecting sewers. The system dramatically improved sanitation, helped curb recurring cholera outbreaks by preventing sewage from contaminating water supplies, and remains one of the greatest engineering achievements of Victorian Britain.
