During the hot summer of 1858, the River Thames was overwhelmed by untreated human sewage, creating an unbearable stench known as the Great Stink. The odor became so overwhelming that it threatened to shut down Parliament, whose windows overlooked the river. In a desperate attempt to neutralize the noxious fumes, British authorities ordered massive quantities of chloride of lime, chalk, and carbolic acid to treat the riverbanks and sewer outlets.
Tons of disinfectant were dumped daily into the water. However, the sheer volume of chemical disinfectant required quickly overwhelmed regional chemical manufacturers. Lime kilns across England were pushed beyond capacity, and transport barges choked key canal routes trying to deliver shipments to London.
Within weeks, a severe supply chain breakdown occurred. Chemical plants ran out of raw limestone and coal needed to operate the kilns, causing local prices of chloride of lime to skyrocket. With supply lines paralyzed, city crews briefly ran out of neutralizing agents, leaving Parliament and London citizens exposed to the full force of the stench once again.
The chemical crisis proved that chemical dumping was an unsustainable quick fix, ultimately accelerating the approval and funding for Joseph Bazalgette's revolutionary London sewerage system.