The Ottawa Sewer Explosions of 1929 & 1931 (Episode 64)

In the first quarter of the twentieth century, the city engineers of Ottowa, Ontario, designed a sewer line that was so full of combustible material and so poorly ventilated it blew up twice, causing injuries and property damage each time. 

This week, we're talking 'dark waterfalls' (so much worse than it sounds), exploding streets, DIY water piping, service station waste, natural gas on the loose, and dangerous laundry habits. 

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Sources:

"The Ottawa Sewer Explosions", by J. Powell for the Historical Society of Ottawa, n.d.

"May 29, 1929: The day that manhole covers rained down on Ottawa" by B. Deachman for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, 2018

"The Ottawa Sewer Explosions", by staff writer, Sandy Hill History blog, n.d.

"The Good Sewer: Why Ottawa’s $232-million sewage storage tunnel is both an engineering marvel and an act of contrition" by A. Duffy for the Ottawa Citizen, 2020