From Feb. 17th CBS Chicago.
Sounds a bit unsanitary and actually, in the early days, it was. This caused a great fight between Chicago and points further south along the Illinois River and St. Louis.
The construction of this 28-mile-long canal made it possible for Chicago to reverse the flow of the Chicago River in order for the city's waste to go to the Illinois River and not to Lake Michigan, the source of the city's drinking water (hence the name Sanitary). I can't imagine something like this being done today, but back then, Chicago was "The City of Big Shoulders."
Begun in 1892, it too eight years to complete it and it connected the South Branch of the Chicago River with the Illinois River at Lockport. On May 2, 1900, Spanish American War hero Admiral George Dewey came to dedicate it. In 1907, it was extended from Lockport to Joliet, which took the construction of a lock to handle the 36-foot drop between the two cities.
This, of course, was good for Chicago, but not so good for those unfortunate towns downriver. Chicago's sewage got flushed downstream instead of to Lake Michigan.
St, Louis threatened to sue, but Chicago opened the canal early, before the suit could go through.
The canal is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the issue isn't so much sewage as it is Asian carp.
A Real Stinky Situation. --Cooter
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