The Secrets of Chicago's Sewer System (and river pollution)

The Secrets of Chicago's Sewer System (and river pollution) - IT'S HISTORY

Рет қаралды 104,363

Күн бұрын

Being as big a city as it is, Chicago needs a lot of systems to keep it running. Among the most important is the sewer system, which has disposed of Chicago’s waste for over 150 years now. From the initial installation and the pollution of the Chicago River to the newer implements of the past several years, the Chicago Sewer System has a pervasive history.
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:57 - Waste Disposal in a Young Chicago
2:00 - The Chicago River’s Early Contamination
3:21 - Illinois Takes Action
3:46 - Chicago’s First Installations
5:41 - Bubbly Creek
6:17 - Industrial Disposal in the Chicago River
7:14 - The System and its Functions
8:26 - Remnants of the Old System
10:08 - Where does the Wastewater Go?
10:38 - The Chicago River’s Contamination Today
14:37 - Conclusion
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» CREDIT
Video editor - Manuel
Scriptwriter - Gregory Back
Host - Ryan Socash
» ABOUT US
IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
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» SOURCES
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» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word / spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

Пікірлер: 129

@alancranford3398 2 жыл бұрын

That bridge incident was nauseating. It did serve to give perspective. "It was only because they got caught." Sometimes, learning has an unpleasant tuition. See if I boat under Chicago bridges!

@pajamaperson4203 5 ай бұрын

NEVER FORGET

@jakelindquist 2 жыл бұрын

I applaud your realness when it comes to Chicago and our historically putrid river lol as Qixr says "where the poop gunna go?" its a very Chicago problem 😂

@blairwilliams136 2 жыл бұрын

I was just watching a Qxir video, he's awesome!

@michaelwallace5073 2 жыл бұрын

It goes South and West to Peoria

@davetimmer5149 2 жыл бұрын

My dad remembers in the 1950's kayaking the Grand River down stream of Grand Rapids MI.. the trees would have toilet paper in the limbs up to the spring high water mark, and seeing floating turds floating with the current.

@indowneastmaine 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for covering an underrated environmental topic.

@litesaber54yi3 2 жыл бұрын

There was a magazine called "invention and technology" back in the day. Like 1985 to 2010ish. And they had huge feature article on the Chicago sewer system. To this day its one of the top 10 most fascinating articles I have ever read. Thank you for this awesome video.

@773fishing2 2 жыл бұрын

as a chicagoan and someone who's worked in the wastewater industry, I'd also like to point out that Chicago has combined sewer and storm water drains. meaning when it rains .. that water gets treated. when you flush the toilet...that water gets treated. whereas in newer suburban developments, stormwater goes into retention ponds and drainage canals, wastewater gets treated. since all of Chicago stormwater and wastewater has to be treated, we have one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the largest in the world just west of the city. metropolitan water reclamation plant in stickney

@LanceGrey 2 жыл бұрын

"Stinkney" to us folks in Cicero. 🤣

@indianastan 2 жыл бұрын

Now all Chicago needs to do is clean up City Hall

@freetolook3727 2 жыл бұрын

Sewers emptying into rivers is one of the reasons that waterfront property was considered only for industrial use and no one wanted to be near. Now, waterfront property goes for at least triple what any landlocked property goes for.

@theraf8100 2 жыл бұрын

Never even thought about that...thanks!

@onenightstan3635 2 жыл бұрын

The creek still bubbles today.. its crazy

@dahby2724 2 жыл бұрын

I love History! Archival photos and films amaze me!

@jaymeboberek2319 Жыл бұрын

As of 2019 fish have returned to the Chicago River. Fish have been documented. Also Bubbly Creek has been slated for remediation. On parts of the Chicago River (North Branch) Have had wetlands reintroduced.

@fabiodriven 2 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure how you can bring up the fact that this river's direction was reversed and then proceed to never elaborate on such a major aspect of this entire thing. I was waiting intently to hear about that and it was never explained.

@RobFiles 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed, I wonder what caused such a phenomenon? Has it reoccurred since then, what were the ecological and sociological effects? So many questions!

@chriscohlmeyer4735 2 жыл бұрын

@@RobFiles As I recall the river's flow direction was changed as a result of digging a canal between the upper reach of the Chicago River (which has very little elevation change) and a river flowing into the Mississippi River to allow small ship navigation from the Great Lakes to the western areas and to the gulf and return without having to trans ship items from boats to horse drawn carts and sometimes trains and back to the Mississippi river boats. Today the locks between the river and Lake Michigan (a canal branch goes north through Evanston to the lake) are mostly kept closed to prevent an invasive fish species out of the Great Lakes. Another fish did invade the Great Lakes when the locks were built to allow ships in from the Gulf of St. Lawrence (best friend growing up lived on a beach front house in the 60's, every spring we would be tasked with racking up all the dead fish so that we could run barefoot on the beach).

@fabiodriven 2 жыл бұрын

@@RobFiles same here! Was it caused by man or was it a natural occurrence?

@773fishing2 2 жыл бұрын

@@fabiodriven it was done intentionally

@fabiodriven 2 жыл бұрын

@Zack Darce alright thanks for the reply.

@19irving 2 жыл бұрын

Wow. I've kayaked the Chicago River. I've also been on the architectural boat tour. I passed a few stinky spots. But, thank God, I wasn't hit by the 800 lb. Turd Load from Hell.

@jontooke846 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much that was a awesome history of Chicago sewage system

@salty6pence672 2 жыл бұрын

The Thirsty Wale. LOL Memories 🙏🌍✌️ 🖖

@stevehomeier8368 2 жыл бұрын

😅 hell yes!

@snoopy5736 2 жыл бұрын

Where was it located?

@davidgibbs381 2 жыл бұрын

@@snoopy5736- Grand Ave. & River Rd.

@msbgone Жыл бұрын

Wow was this fascinating!!! Great Vid!

@tangyorange6509 2 жыл бұрын

Love these Chicago videos

@dahby2724 2 жыл бұрын

And yes....the content is extremely informative!

@billkallas1762 2 жыл бұрын

More detailed info is available online. (The I&M canal was 96 miles long, and was finished in 1848) This small canal started the water flowing to the Mississippi. With heavy rains, sewage still drained into Lake Michigan, though. ...The much larger Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal was finished in 1900, and finally mostly solved the sewage problem, although, I can remember 40 years ago, beaches had to be closed after very heavy rains because the water close to shore became polluted......This problem was solved 30 years ago.

@shelygrimmer3344 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for doing this. I have lived in Northwest Indiana all my life. I never knew this. I knew that the fresh water had a pipe going out into Lake Michigan to get the fresh water. I didn't know that the illness that went on here.

@Jeremy_Meeks 2 жыл бұрын

4:25 I've always wonder why neighborhoods pilsen and some of bridgepoint houses are lower and the sidewalks are raised at a different level from the yard of the house lot. Makes sense now

@dakotamilly2310 2 жыл бұрын

Damn me too

@denali9449 2 жыл бұрын

At the 7:49 mark - please advise where, in Chicago, we can find this pipeline which is elevated on seismic slide stands with radiator topped piers which are used in arctic construction to prevent thawing of the permafrost. Looks remarkably similar to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline system.

@davidhayes5961 2 жыл бұрын

Chicago sends it downriver to St Louis. St Louis returns it in kegs cans and bottles.

@boataxe4605 2 жыл бұрын

I used to be a tour guide and I used that line for years, though I actually used the name Budweiser. Once time a guy came up to me and said “Be thankful that I have a sense of humor” and handed me his card,he was the Vice President of Anheuser Bush.

@gregoryferraro7379 2 жыл бұрын

That description of the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumping its waste on those sightseers was gross! And I'm a plumber!

@mannyfrencha5736 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting content

@weegeemike 2 жыл бұрын

Love your videos man. Ive been really into studying the history of Detroit, its rise, and its downfall. If you could do more videos on Dettoit, including on subjects such as the one in this video, i would love your channel even more man. #DetroitForever

@brianevans981 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing

@mikemitchell948 2 жыл бұрын

Cool, the picture at 0.36m is of the sewage treatment plant that I work at in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.....the Robert .O .Pickard treatment center.

@TurtleDude05 2 жыл бұрын

I don't know why. But every time I've heard/seen/read somthing on this subject, I find it extremely fascinating. It's one of those things, that most modernized countries don't stop to consider. But waste management is a big part of any civilizations infrastructure. And it's really neat to see how it came to be the way it is now.

@davetimmer5149 2 жыл бұрын

Between Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids and other industrial cities in southern lake Michigan, back in the he 1960's and 1950's there was a grey/blue line across the lake. It was just north of a line between Muskegon and Milwaukee.

@Brianrockrailfan 2 жыл бұрын

great video please could make a video about Chicago north shore & Milwaukee railroad 🚈🚋🚉

@stevehomeier8368 2 жыл бұрын

Great to see another Chicagoan with a love for history. Keep putting out great content!! How about a segment on the U-505? Look forward to your next one

@julianshepherd2038 2 жыл бұрын

Proud leaded Chicagoan

@stephenmoerlein8470 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting engineering aspects that affect everyone's health and well-being, but few people are aware of. Before listening, I was unaware of the disturbing DMB incident. Out of curiosity, how does Chicago's neighbor Milwaukee handle its sewerage? Does it drain into the lake, or into the Mississippi River basin? Thanks for posting.

@matthodel946 7 ай бұрын

I do know that Milwaukee Sewer has done an amazing job of creating a fertile product called milorganite for about 100 years from its water treatment plant.

@Mk99987 2 жыл бұрын

The illustration at 7:59 is the Alyeska oil pipeline in Alaska.

@SerimanTheWolf 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for mentioning the Poo Poo Bus.

@h-leath6339 2 жыл бұрын

Also: Stephenson, Zodiac. Really good read.

@richardnelson64 2 жыл бұрын

I've your story's about Chicago l was born there! Thanks good story as always 😁🔆😀💠👉🌻🖖👍☮️♥️✝️❗✌️

@Jude74 2 жыл бұрын

Forgot about that Dave Mathew’s incident. Oye.

@j3lny425 2 жыл бұрын

You glossed over the reversal of the Chicago river. How was this done? If the river once emptied into the lake where does it empty into now?

@thomasfreeman7770 2 жыл бұрын

The Chicago sanitary and ship canal discharges to the Des Plaines river. It then flows to the Illinois river and eventually into the Mississippi River. The Gulf of Mexico is the extreme southern discharge point along with the discharge of many cities along the way.

@blairwilliams136 2 жыл бұрын

That Dave Matthew's poop story is horrendous

@citizenstranger 2 жыл бұрын

unfortunately the kinzie bridge incident is the first thing that comes to mind when i think of dave matthews band.

@billkallas1762 2 жыл бұрын

I'm 28 miles west of the lakefront, and most of my water comes directly from the lake. Anybody West of my town has to rely on deep wells for water.

@Shader670 2 жыл бұрын

I live in the same area, you are correct.

@galleryofrogues Жыл бұрын

Still better than hearing DMB’s music

@TimTarafas 2 жыл бұрын

You pointed to a smokestack, not the water tower.

@TimTarafas 2 жыл бұрын

@Fred Homeyer yes. I see that, but it’s literally not difficult to position the arrow to point to the correct tower.

@boataxe4605 2 жыл бұрын

To everyone blaming Dave Matthews, keep in mind that all he did was charter a bus from a bus company. The bus company hired the driver who dumped the poo. When you charter a bus, boat, airplane, or any other form of transportation, you expect them to be operating within the law.

@freetolook3727 2 жыл бұрын

@14:35 Or toxic waste removal companies?

@musiolara1275 2 жыл бұрын

🙂🤙🏽👍🏽🙏🏽Chi town stinky River improvements!

@matthewholzinger1042 2 жыл бұрын

Bubbles still form in Bubbly Creek

@ADDMEONPSN 2 жыл бұрын

This is how I seen True Crime NYC back in 2005.

@Wv8675 2 жыл бұрын

I feel like he went over this subject before

@Cheesybiscuit404 2 жыл бұрын

I think it's bc they did a video on the raising of the city? But didn't go into detail about the act of plumbing at the same time, unless I'm getting my videos about raising the city confused lol

@bambur1 9 ай бұрын

Begin to flow backwards ? The Army corp of eng dug the Cal Sag and reversed the flow intentionally

@blackpanda7298 2 жыл бұрын

Poor little lady 😩😩😩

@abstractyouth 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! Our channel did some investigative journalism on this subject and how it affects the Des Plaines River! 👀 Check it out if you want to find out more information about the affects of the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal and other pollutants in the Chicago area!

@ITSHISTORY 2 жыл бұрын

Thank You :) Can You share the link? :)

@abstractyouth 2 жыл бұрын

@@ITSHISTORY Of course, it’s the latest video on our channel - The Des Plaines River: A Forgotten Paradise kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aZ6lqdOgrs2naGQ.html

@flowertrue 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad I finished eating before that story.

@tomlambert915 2 жыл бұрын

i think the bigger story here is why would there be 800 lbs of poop on that bus?

@jwrappuhn71 2 жыл бұрын

There's a reason why it's called Shitcago.

@miniaturefarmer464 2 ай бұрын

Dave Matthews' music nauseates me.

@dans3294 2 жыл бұрын

Chicago does what it always does, it dumps its problems on someone else.

@billping2633 2 жыл бұрын

Chicago is a shit hole. Just push your shit off to the rest of the State Of IL. They still do it to this day. Just in a different way

@julianshepherd2038 2 жыл бұрын

Lead! What century is the USA living in ?

@freetolook3727 2 жыл бұрын

Lead is cheap, maluable, doesn't corrode, and expands rather than bursting when water insids freezes. Unfortunately, only recently we've found out what lead does to the human body. My city has lead pipes but it would be cost prohibitive to replace them all. There are ways to deal with lead pipes.

@robrod7120 2 жыл бұрын

Lead pipes are still surprisingly common worldwide, including what are traditionally considered “first world” countries such as the USA, UK and multiple (if not a majority) of the countries in the EU. While new lead pipes aren’t installed very often it isn’t uncommon for older systems to be left in place as new ones are built

@smelly_elvis 2 жыл бұрын

@@freetolook3727 Fortunately lead pipes are some of the better things Chicago has to offer.

@theraf8100 2 жыл бұрын

Does the water really go straight from Lake Michigan to our faucets? No filtration or anything?

@RobFiles 2 жыл бұрын

4:00 "drastic action" Ok, I'll throw it out the from the onset... Mud Flood is an interest of mine. Do you truely buy into the "jacking up of every building" hypothesis? In my city, the solution to water table and sewage issues was to "fill up with soil the ground floor, then use the 1st floor for access". The issue and pressure from the municipal council was so great that the price of soil was beyond the means of the average property owner. Strange days indeed!

@jdizzforyou 2 жыл бұрын

“The river itself will never be safe for swimming or fishing” is while technically true not accurate. My Grandfather lived in a building near navy pier and he taught me how to fish… in the Chicago river. All of the fish had a strange coloring, and I was cautioned these are not fish safe to eat. The best I can put it is more of a yellowish tinge than is normal, and quite often reddened eyes. Nice vid!

@salazargrey Жыл бұрын

Lead pipes? That can't be safe.

@GeneSelkov 2 жыл бұрын

The clip at 7:50 shows a permafrost-mounted oil pipeline in Alaska. The pipes shown at 9:47 while the narrator talks about lead sewer pipes are the segments of a slurry transport pipeline. They have nothing to do with lead or sewer.

@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79 2 жыл бұрын

Damn, Dave Matthews why would your bus driver do that. Did the band suffer career wise after this?

@kczmudzin Жыл бұрын

do you mean it's history or its history?

@christianhansen3292 2 жыл бұрын

Yuck! regarding David Matthew's band incident!

@h-leath6339 2 жыл бұрын

So Fry IS the most important person in the Universe! Always trust Nibbler!

@mac6746 Жыл бұрын

Don't drink the water in Chicago 😂

@ricksadler797 2 жыл бұрын

Yuk I never liked DMB anyway

@timothyp3378 2 жыл бұрын

Alaskan pipeline picture used for water pipelines?! OMG.....just seeing if people are paying attention or don't know better about time footage?! yup....water doesn't need "radiators" too cool it like oil and keep the permafrost frozen under the pipeline, 😂

@denali9449 2 жыл бұрын

Those radiators are not to cool the oil. they are to vent the heat conducted from the piers into the ground. And as you say, keep the permafrost from thawing. They are not connected to the pipe or oil flow.

@theawesomer8587 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for giving me another reason not to like the Dave Matthews Band.

@PerVerdonk 2 жыл бұрын

Illinois is the only part of Lk Michigan where you can still dump your boat's black water tank into the lake.

@lloydjenkins2190 Жыл бұрын

All these massive govt projects somehow funded before income tax.... so where's the money go now

@majikglustik9704 2 жыл бұрын

OH + 💩! OI!

@herrerad3 2 жыл бұрын

I grew up near Chicago's other southside river, Calumet. People & resources dont make it to that part of the city. Go White Sox

@markahlers6011 2 жыл бұрын

How ironic that a hippie type band (Dave Matthew's attracts much the same crowd as the Grateful Dead) can do such an awful thing like dropping a fully loaded waste tank onto a boat full of passengers. It's a miracle no one was killed..

@mukainoda9453 2 жыл бұрын

August 8 or 8.8 as Chinese perspective symbol of fortune , definitely it's Golden shower day 🤣🚿 of Chicago

@rickhammer2374 2 жыл бұрын

Alot of misleading info in this one. Not well researched.

@crazy360playa 2 жыл бұрын

Your channel name has a major grammatical error.

@tvviewer4500 2 жыл бұрын

That is not a lot of dead people from water born illnesses for the alleged danger...

@eetuthereindeer6671 2 жыл бұрын

The problem with the invention of farming is environmental damage because farming made people to settle in cities Yes i went straight into the core of the problem 😂

@tvviewer4500 2 жыл бұрын

You completely left out the Deep Tunnel. Maybe make a separate video about the Deep Tunnel!! Please!