The world we live in today didn’t always have toilets and modern plumbing at our disposal. As a result, we often take our bathrooms and plumbing for granted when in reality, we’ve only enjoyed the luxury of indoor plumbing for a short time in the history of humankind. In this article, our plumbing experts at Five Star Columbus Plumbing give us a brief review of the history of plumbing to understand how fortunate we are to live in a world with the household technology we count on daily.
Development of Sewers and Aqueducts
We didn’t achieve our modern sewer systems and water mains overnight. Instead, ancient civilizations in India, the Middle East, China, the Mediterranean, and Central America came up with ways to provide clean water and remove waste from densely populated areas, with Ancient Rome being the most advanced. The Romans built giant aqueducts that carried water into the city and homes and used underground sewers to transport it out. However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, folks reverted to chamber pots and outhouses for over a millennium. With that lack of sanitization and clean drinking water came diseases like the plague, typhoid, and cholera, aiding in high death rates and inadequate living standards.
The Advancement of Sanitation
With plumbing technologies making a comeback, the 17th century led to London beginning the trial of supplying fresh water to the city. This new start ushered in a cleaner and more enlightened era for the Western world. But unfortunately, other populated areas of the world struggled to hop on board. Meanwhile, in the United States, water systems were gradually created and integrated into society. Outstanding achievements in modern plumbing were made when the White House received running water on its first floor in 1833. Then in 1855, Chicago became the first American city to install a comprehensive sewer system.
Although many folks were still using rain barrels and wells to receive fresh water, those living in the cities would be provided with public fountains and water trucks. For the 20th century, these achievements made plumbing a necessity rather than a novelty.
Toilets of Tomorrow
Nowadays, almost all homes in North America are provided with indoor plumbing and running water. Although we already have great technologies in place for plumbing, further progress persists in enhancing the methods already set in motion. For example, lead was formally known as the preferred material for pipes but is now made up of plastics. Next, engineers designed and continue to improve the material used to create shower heads and faucets to provide less stress on the equipment and decrease water consumption. For years to come, plumbing technologies will continue to improve to seek maximum efficiency and fulfill your water-supply preferences more than ever before.
Plumbing has come a long way since the dawn of civilization; however, it is still being perfected. Advancements in technology towards plumbing systems are flourishing now more than ever before! Homeowners may experience issues like clogged pipes or leaky faucets, but that is no problem for expert plumbers like Five Star Columbus Plumbing. Now, you can take comfort knowing your plumbing system will be back up and running in no time! So give us a today at (614) 401-8086, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
