Our sewerage system is essential to modern life, keeping our homes and streets clean and hygienic.
But how does the vast underground sewer system beneath our feet work?
In this article, we will take a closer look at the importance of our UK sewer system, how it was created, and how the system deals with the foul water and surface water that enter our drains.
Most of us don’t think too much about what happens to the water that collects in storm drains, gets flushed down the toilet or washes down the plughole after our morning shower.
This is because our modern sewer system takes care of all the hard work for us.
We only think about our sewers and drains when something goes wrong.
In the UK, we’re fortunate to have one of the best sanitation systems in the world. In contrast, many developing countries rely on open trench drainage channels to carry waste from homes to treatment facilities (if they are available).. Some countries even lack functional sewer systems, r meaning that waste may not be treated at all.
As such, the modern British sewer system is essential in providing us with the quality of life we’ve come to expect. It provides us with a safe and hygienic way to dispose of waste, which in turn protects us from the risk of infection and disease. It also means we are rarely burdened with the smell or sight of wastewater, and the treatment of these waters means we have reliable access to clean water for drinking and irrigation, among other applications.
At Lanes, we provide essential drainage services to wastewater sector and clean water sector clients to help keep essential utilities functioning properly.
Sewer systems have existed in Britain since 3,200 BC. The Orkney Islands in Scotland show signs of early drainage systems, with lavatory-like plumbing fitted within wall recesses. However, these primitive systems had numerous flaws, causing cholera epidemics and foul odours.
When the Romans occupied Britain from 43 to 410 AD, they brought with them their advances in cleanliness, including public bathhouses, complex drainage systems, latrines and aqueducts.
The fall of the Roman Empire coincided with a drop in standards. In the 1550s, a basic sewer system existed in London in the form of open ditches running to the River Thames. Still, little else was done to transform the sewerage system until the outbreak of several cholera epidemics in the 1800s.
In 1854, the contamination of a well in the Broad Street neighbourhood of London was identified as the source of a cholera epidemic in Soho. Four years later, the “Great Stink” came, a period of high temperatures that created an intolerable stench from the open cesspool that was the River Thames, resulting in Parliament having to be closed several times.
With the need for a revamped approach to sewerage having become evidently urgent, the Metropolitan Board of Works’ celebrated chief engineer, Joseph Bazalgette, was given the go-ahead to create a brand new and much more effective system. This system revolutionised the way waste was disposed of in the UK. It was quickly adopted throughout the country and remains in use in London even to this day.
The modern sewer system owes much to Bazalgette’s pioneering work, and uses sophisticated methods to ensure that wastewater is transported and treated correctly.
Here’s how it works:
The importance of the sewers makes it vital that they are regularly cleaned, maintained and kept free of blockages and defects wherever possible.
Companies like Lanes play a vital role in this. With our advanced CCTV drain survey technology, we can take high-resolution images of sewer interiors to detect any signs of a blockage or a structural weakness and determine the best ways of repairing them.
If cracks are present, cured-in-place piping (CIPP) or UV lining technology can be used to resurface the pipes without the need for excavation. However, full replacement of certain sewer sections may also be required on occasion.
Matters become a lot more complicated when the drains become blocked by fatbergs, a term that refers to a giant mass of fat, grease, wipes and plastic products that are flushed down the drains and solidify into immovable objects.
Fatbergs can result in foul waste flooding and pollution of the local environment, and can only be removed by manually digging them out.
Discover more about fatbergs in our article ‘Fatbergs: The data behind the growing phenomenon’.
We can all make a difference in keeping the UK’s sewer system clear of these stubborn blockages by making simple adjustments to how we dispose of everyday waste items.
Most importantly, households and businesses alike should be conscious of the so-called ‘Big Offenders’ – the items and substances that contribute most to fatberg formation, and should therefore never be washed down plugholes or toilets under any circumstances:
By taking the necessary steps to keep your drains clear of these obstructive items, you can help ensure the UK’s sewer system remains clean, hygienic and effective for many more years to come.
To find out more about the work involved in maintaining the UK sewerage system, visit our sewer distilling and jet vacuumation page. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us to make an enquiry about our domestic and commercial sewer services.
Call us on 0800 526 488 or use our online enquiry form, and we’ll do our best to help.