The Great Stink

Many modern-day solutions to problems came about from extreme circumstances that actually forced the people to do something about the huge problem. One such situation happened in London in 1858 and was caused by raw sewage that polluted the River Thames. That summer was so hot, that it was absolutely sweltering. The people of London were beyond miserable, but after several days of the horrible heat, there began to be another side effect of the heat. A retched smell began to overtake the city. Before long, the smell was found to be coming from the River Thames, which was polluted with raw sewage. Upon hearing of this situation, my first thought was, “Oh my gosh!! I hope no one swam in there!!” That thought still remains on my mind. Did they know of the pollution before the sweltering heat?

Whatever the case may be, London’s sweltering that summer of 1858 caused a truly putrid problem. The River Thames totally reeked of the raw sewage. The foul smell became known as “The Great Stink.” The overpowering odor even disrupted the British Parliament, as members struggled to endure the stench wafting into their chambers from the polluted waters. I’m sure more than one of the members lost their lunch in the ordeal. So many diseases can come from raw sewage that is able to come in contact with humans. The people’s imaginations very likely went wild.

Fears of cholera outbreaks arose, which prompted engineer Joseph Bazalgette to propose an ambitious plan to build an intricate sewer network. It was most definitely a long overdue plan, but unfortunately, all too often, solutions to a problem don’t come about until things get out of hand. Thankfully, in this instance, the solution came before the deaths of any of the citizens. The system designed by Bazalgette successfully diverted the waste away from the Thames, thereby saving the city and its citizens from complete and total disaster and possible death.

Work began on the system on January 31, 1859. In 1866 there was a further cholera outbreak in London that claimed 5,596 lives, although it was confined to an area of the East End between Aldgate and Bow. The problems continued to occur until the 1950s when the River Thames was declared Biologically dead” and then when the system was replaced, it began to make a comeback. The River Thames has made an impressive comeback the 1950s, but it still faces serious pollution issues from sewage, microplastics, agricultural runoff, and pharmaceutical residues. These challenges continue to impact its ecosystem and the communities relying on it. The river’s health is a mixed bag, with moments of improvement often disrupted by concerning pollution events and ecological stress.