In 1865, the London Bazalgette sewer system commenced operations, designed by civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette to address the city's chronic sanitation issues. This extensive underground network modernized waste management, significantly improving public health by reducing the spread of waterborne diseases. Bazalgette's innovative engineering not only transformed London's infrastructure but also set a precedent for urban sanitation systems worldwide.

The London Bazalgette sewer system, operational in 1865, inspired late-Victorian poets to explore societal repression through structural metaphors of plumbing. This innovation allowed for a deeper examination of the psychological undercurrents of urban life, influencing the themes and imagery in their poetry.