The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem

This nonfiction picture book examines London’s sewage pollution in the summer of 1858, when waste contaminated the River Thames and the city’s drinking water. It traces how older sewers built to carry rainwater became connected to toilets and cesspools as London grew, and how polluted water contributed to cholera outbreaks. Engineer Joseph Bazalgette proposed and designed a sewer system that moved sewage through underground pipes to a reservoir before release toward the ocean. Back matter addresses present-day sewage pollution and includes a timeline.