The Incredible Story of London Sewers

Simon's Social Media:

Love content? Check out Simon's other YouTube Channels:

[missydg]

Simon I wanted to share my sewer experiences in the 1970’s under Detroit. Like your video parts of the storm sewer was bricked and very large. I was in college for concrete engineering. So my main job was surveying the sewer system and anything else helpful. The brick work of the masons back 80 years before was a work of art. No brick was wasted. Patterns of small bricks were creating amazing designs in the brickwork. Unfortunately we’re 50 below the surface of Detroit. The oldest part of the storm sewer system. Was made of rough cut large oak planks. Our job was to place wire mesh and rebar on the oak walls and spray with a hydraulic concrete. The ceiling had old giant telephone lines attached so we left them alone.
At one large intersection we had lunch tables and work desks. All built due to the access hole of 4 x4 feet wide. The sewer rats were big like cats, but never seen humans before. The some rats befriend the workers and during breaks and lunch would dance for food. Our survey rat friend we called floppy due to a floppy ear. The sewer was blocked off so no water would flow during a rain. Our work took over 7 months but I experience the underground world. I changed my college studies to computer and networking.
Great video. I rarely comment but wanted to share.

[canaan]

John Snow: "guys, it's not bad air that's making people sick, its bad water."
19th century scientists: "you know nothing, John Snow"

[keyholes]

I'd love to see a SideProjects about the abandoned bits of the Tube; like Aldwych, where the British Museum's collection was stored during the Blitz. I know you've done a MegaProjects on the Tube as a whole but it's a massive rabbithole of video ideas.

[stevoplex]

As a licensed wastewater treatment engineer, I have profound respect for such a vast and complex system whose functional operational success is evident by its sheer invisibility from public notice, yet becomes obnoxiously apparent only in failure.

[jetsons]

Bazalgette along with Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Augustus Pugin were the best of the best. Thanks for

[dh-c]

As a Civil/Structural Engineer, this man is magnificent.

[Darkstar.....]

Being so maticulous with the brickies. I'd like to say he raised the trade standard for the whole city in that way making every construction after far superior.

[CC-ggoj]

I first came across Bazalgette in a book by Terry Pratchett called Dodger. Made me look into the historical characters he wrote into the novel. Great topic Simon.

[sebastienpaquin]

Wait, 500M$ in today's dollar to build, from scratch, by hand, the entire brand new sewer system for the largest city in the world? Man today for that price you barely get 1 new subway station!

[JosVerbeek]

Damn it Simon. Yet another rabbithole with interesting content.

[BinkyBorky]

Hey S.W. I really enjoyed this Episode of Megaprojects. I'm a sucker for Victorian infrastructure projects.

[Thatgueropaul]

I’d love to see y’all do a video over The Super Guppy! Big fan of the channel and looking forward to your future projects!

[penguintornado]

Awesome video! One of those situations where you always hear about the problem and never the solution (in another country anyway). So cool to know the rest of the story.

[FrogmanAnime]

Hi Simon, glad you did this video. While I’m not a Londoner, the London sewer tha bazelgette constructed has fascinated me
Ever since I saw a short documentary on the subject years ago. But hadn’t seen much on this subject since.

Hopefully more people understand the importance of The London Sewer system.

And I’m glad they’ve begun to upgrade the system before it becomes an issue.

[corymac]

New channel ?? Bro you're already the hardest working man on YT .

[bobbysenterprises]

Came here to see Whistler tactfully avoid the "Thames River" vs "The River Thames"

Fact Boy delivered. Genius.

[dawnpalmby]

London Ontario had pipes made of hollowed out trees for over 100 years in the oldest parts of the city up until this decade; now, they have been replaced

[patrickdurham]

As a fourth generation plumber I've heard of him but it's much nicer to hear you telling it.

[goodwood-rcnx]

If you want to start with the rabbit hole of the sewer subject may I suggest looking up the lost rivers of London

most of them were taken underground and used to keep the system's water flowing

[DomitionX]

I want a megaproject video on Simon's beard growth over the last few years.