Northern Outfall Sewer

Prior to the work, drains in central London were built primarily to cope with rain water, but the growing use of flush toilets frequently meant that they became overloaded, causing sewage and industrial effluent to flow into the River Thames.

Bazalgette's London sewerage system project included the construction of intercepting sewers north and south of the Thames.

The remaining sections of the NOS carry the sewage from Abbey Mills to the treatment plant at Beckton.

The creation of the NOS was a massive undertaking, and involved the construction of huge embankments and several bridges.

Today, the eastern end of the Northern Outfall Sewer, running some 4+1⁄2 miles (7 km) from Wick Lane to Beckton, has been landscaped to form a public footpath/cycleway called The Greenway, with access points along its length.