Join us at the Museum at 6pm on Thursday June 5th for a talk on the ‘Early History of the Grand Junction Waterworks Company’. Did you know that the London Museum of Water & Steam was the third location the Grand Junction Waterworks Company opened as the Kew Bridge Waterworks?

In 1811 the Grand Junction Waterworks Company was formed to supply the wealthy and rapidly growing northwest part of London with water from the Grand Junction Canal. The Directors of the Company declared that the Company’s works at Paddington would be enabled to supply a body of water three times greater, and in a more pure and brilliant state, than had yet been recorded.  Yet just 16 years later the Company would be accused of supplying water charged with contents of a common sewer with all sorts of decomposed animal and vegetable substances, rendering the said water offensive and destructive to health. In 1828 the Company found itself at the centre of a Royal Commission appointed to look at the state of London’s water, a stain that would haunt the Company for the much of the 19th century. 

Rob Casey, a tour guide at the London Museum of Water and Steam, will present the history of the early years of the Company and examine what went wrong bringing to light some new facts in this fascinating story. Rob has presented on many aspects of the history of London’s water supply to various audiences ranging from institutions to local societies.  

Pre-book your tickets here!