How old is London sewage?

How old is London sewage? Although the system was officially opened by Edward, Prince of Wales in 1865 (and several of the largest sewer channels named after members of the Royal Family), the whole project was not completed until 1875.

Does London sewage go into the Thames?

London relies on a 150-year-old sewer system built for a population less than half its current size. As a result, millions of tonnes of raw sewage spills, untreated, into the River Thames each year.

How dirty was Victorian London?

In Victorian London, filth was everywhere: horse traffic filled the streets with dung, household rubbish went uncollected, cesspools brimmed with night soil, graveyards teemed with rotting corpses, the air itself was choked with smoke.

How did London get rid of the Great Stink?

The government's response during the early days of the stink was to douse the curtains of the Houses of Parliament in chloride of lime, before embarking on a final desperate measure to cure lousy old Father Thames by pouring chalk lime, chloride of lime and carbolic acid directly into the water.

What caused the Great Stink of 1858?

For centuries the River Thames had been used as a dumping ground for the capital's waste and as the population grew, so did the problem. The hot summer of 1858 elevated the stench to an unbearable level and resulted in an episode known as 'The Great Stink'.

What is the oldest sewer in the world?

The water supply already existed in cities at that time, but it was not until 3000 B.C., in the city of Mohenjo-Daro, in the Indo valley (in modern-day Pakistan) that we find the first buildings with latrines connected to a sewage system.

How old are UK sewers?

The sewers were completed around 1870, with two extra sewers added about 1910. Still in use today, they can handle up to 1.8 billion litres (400 million gallons) of sewage a day. Although they are in great need of repair and replacement, London without them is unthinkable.

When did the Thames stop smelling?

With the government in the summer of 1858 greenlighting affirmative action, engineering genius Sir Joseph Bazalgette could start work on his ambitious new drainage system for London. It began in earnest in 1859, was finished in 1875, and by 1887, the dumping of sewage into the Thames had stopped completely.