BAZALGETTE, SIR JOSEPH WILLIAM

born March 28, 1819, Enfield, Middlesex [now in Enfield, London], Eng. died March 15, 1891, Wimbledon, Surrey [now in Merton, London] 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.