As an urban waterway, Buffalo Bayou is especially vulnerable to low water quality. The condition of the bayou's waters has long been a topic of concern in Houston. During the 19th century, the river essentially functioned as both an open sanitary sewer and a source of drinking water. Industrial and agricultural discharge into the water was a common practice, and the bayou took on a reputation as a "cesspool" with an "unbearable stench." It was not until the early 20th century that the city had the resources to construct sewerage and sewage treatment plants. However, environmental progress was slow, and Buffalo Bayou was still heavily polluted through the late 1940s.