Summary of History and Sewage: The Great Stink of 1858

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

In 1858, London experienced a severe sewage crisis that resulted in widespread cholera outbreaks. This crisis led to the passage of a law that allowed for the construction of an underground sewer system, which has prevented further major outbreaks of cholera in the city.

• 00:00:00 The Great Stink of 1858 was a period of intense pollution in London due to the city's sewer system becoming overwhelmed with human and industrial waste. This led to the Thames becoming a giant cesspool, and it is remembered today as one of the city's worst disasters.
• 00:05:00 The Great Stink of 1858 was a severe, foul-smelling sewage crisis in London that killed 31,000 people and caused widespread panic. The crisis was precipitated by a combination of hot weather and a drought, which caused the Thames to fill up with waste and create a cholera epidemic. After spending millions of pounds on a sewer system, Parliament finally passed a law in 1866 that allowed the Metropolitan Board of Works to borrow the money needed to build the system. Thanks to the new system, London has never experienced a major cholera outbreak.
• 00:10:00 The Great Stink of 1858 was a period of intense pollution in London caused by the city's inadequate sewage system. This led to widespread cholera outbreaks, which may have been prevented if the city had adopted Bazalgette's planned system of underground sewers.