Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Sir Joseph William Bazalgette
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Related Questions
Read Next
Union Jack flag of Great Britain, united kingdom
What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
London Big Ben from Trafalgar Square traffic in UK
11 Lesser-Known, Mostly Contemporary Paintings You Should Hunt Down the Next Time You’re in London
Discover
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History

Sir Joseph William Bazalgette

British engineer
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Born:
March 28, 1819, Enfield, Middlesex [now in Enfield, London], Eng.
Died:
March 15, 1891, Wimbledon, Surrey [now in Merton, London] (aged 71)
See all related content

Sir Joseph William Bazalgette (born March 28, 1819, Enfield, Middlesex [now in Enfield, London], Eng.—died March 15, 1891, Wimbledon, Surrey [now in Merton, London]) was a British civil engineer who designed the main drainage system for London.

After working on projects in Northern Ireland, Bazalgette in 1842 became a consulting engineer at Westminster. Seven years later he joined the London Metropolitan Commission of Sewers, becoming chief engineer by 1852. He was appointed chief engineer to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855.

Financial problems and conflicts among consultants held back work on the London drainage system until 1859. The system, containing 83 miles (134 km) of intercepting sewers, was opened in 1865 and fully completed in 1875. Other works by Bazalgette included the Victoria (north side) and Albert (south side) embankments (1864–70), the Chelsea Embankment (1871–74), Northumberland Avenue (1876), new bridges at Putney (also called Fulham; 1882–86) and Battersea (1886–90), and the steam-powered Woolwich Free Ferry (1889). He was knighted in 1874.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.