The Thames, used as a sewage dumping ground, became polluted with stinking filth. Health threats became of great concern to people and the government. There was an outbreak of cholera which spread throughout the region. Night soil collectors moved their loads out of the city to fertilized fields. This event is important for London’s history because it changed the way the city, its hygiene, and its public systems are managed.
This outbreak of cholera killed 6,536 people in London and approximately 20,000 across the country. London’s death toll has doubled during its second major pandemic. Every city was at risk of cholera from improper sewage treatment. To ensure that only clean water is drained to the Thames, Martin’s technology filters and cleans the sewage. To find the causes of the outbreak, scientist Michael Faraday threw pieces of paper into the water while he went along the river to determine the river’s state. Many editorial columns and cartoons mocked the river’s transformation into the world’s most polluted waterway, citing Faraday’s findings. Engineers built hundreds of brick sewers. A law was passed that required every building to be connected to a sewer system.1 Bazalgette supervised the construction of the pumping station and embankment redevelopment. The purpose of pumping stations is to collect sewage from low-lying areas and divert it for discharge.
These policies still continue to help government officials and citizens maintain the safety of London’s water. The vast Victorian sewage system was built and is still in operation today. Observer newspaper stated, “every penny went to a good cause.”2 As a result, the population increased substantially, and there were no more healthcare threats.
One of the most life-changing developments in urban planning in history was the result of the Great Stink. Despite being driven by political and scientific self-interest, the project was a major construction that greatly improved health and laid the foundations for modern London. The project was thought to save lives and brought more effect than any other undertaking. Bazalgette can be considered a hero because he changed the way London’s water systems are managed.
Bibliography
Clark, Clare. The Great Stink. Harper Perennial, 2006.
Witcher, T. R. “Collaboration among Professionals: The Role of Civil Engineers in Public Health.” Civil Engineering Magazine Archive 90, no. 6 (2020): 38-41.
Footnotes
- Clark, Clare, The Great Stink, Harper Perennial, 2006, p. 10.
- Witcher, T. R. “Collaboration among Professionals: The Role of Civil Engineers in Public Health.” Civil Engineering Magazine Archive 90, no. 6 (2020): 40