Bovril Boats

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History

The invention of the flush toilet in the 1840s caused London's sewers to overflow. In 1858 following the summer of The Great Stink and outbreaks of Cholera, Sir Joseph Bazalgette was appointed to redesign London's sewage system.He was only partially successful however as the sludge part of the sewage began to build up on mud banks further down stream along the Thames. In 1878 the passenger steamer The SS|Princess Alice|1865|2 sank in a collision with great loss of life. When the dead were later recovered by watermen, it was found that many had in fact not drowned, but had died from ingesting the poisoned waters of the toxic sludge filled river.

Royal Commission

A Royal Commission of 1882 concluded that it was necessary to create a cleaner river by separating the sludge part from the liquid sewage and remove it via boat for disposal at sea. In 1887 the first ship of a long line of 'pump and dump' effluent tanker vessels was launched. These ships, later nicknamed Bovril Boats to describe their liquid cargo by those who crewed them, were very well maintained and specially designed for marine disposal. Complex hydrostatic calculations had to be made when carrying liquid cargo but crews could expect reasonably good pay and regular work. The last of the fleet were:"Bexley","Hounslow","Newham"named after London Boroughs.

European Union legislation

In the 1990s European Union legislation forbidding the dumping of sewage at sea and popular environmentalism's concerns that sewage was contaminating beaches led to the phasing out of the fleet and many were scrapped or sold on to private companies. Newer technology [http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12817453.700.html] finally allowed the sludge to be incinerated in a self powering incinerator and sold on as fertilizer pellets for use on food crops. However there are still 73 beaches in Great Britain where raw or semi-filtered human sewage is pumped into the sea. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1909757.ece]

See also

Fecal coliforms

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter

Biosolids

Water Environment Federation

Crossness Pumping Station

Sewage treatment

Marine Conservation Society

Surfers Against Sewage

Mobro 4000

MARPOL 73/78

Links

** Processed sewage sludges: http://www.sludgefacts.org
** The Manchester Ship canal http://www.shipcanal.co.uk/
** Bexley http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=146344
** Newham http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=233975
** The Environmental Protection Act 1990 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1990/Ukpga_19900043_en_1.htm
** Local Government Act 1988 (c. 9) http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1988/Ukpga_19880009_en_1.htm
** sewage and farm effluent: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1909757.ece
** beaches: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/quality/bathing/pdf/bathingwaterqualitypredictions.pdf
** beaches: http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/
** SS Shieldhall: http://www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk/

References

** About "Bovril Boats". http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/archive/index.php/t-6258.html
** New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12817453.700.html
** History http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server.php?show=ConNarrative.153&chapterId=3192