The WPJ blog

Have you ever stopped to ponder what life would be like without our modern plumbing systems? Plumbing is an amenity that most of us take for granted but when it goes wrong, the results can be shocking.

In 2011, the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand caused complete devastation to Canterbury, the country’s second largest city. The earthquake killed 185 people, injuring 2000 more, and completely changed the lives of its survivors¹.

Both water and sewage systems were destroyed, leaving the population without drinking water, or working baths and toilets, meaning that many had to dig holes in their back gardens to dispose of waste.

It’s catastrophes like this that plumbing researchers, designers and engineers are continually working hard to prevent, developing safe and sustainable plumbing systems to protect public health and wellbeing.

A number of historical events have shaped the ways that our plumbing systems have been developed thus far…

1. Archaeologists discovered copper pipes in the palace ruins of the Indus River Valley in India, dating back to 4,000 B.C..

Copper pipes are still in use within our modern plumbing systems today due to their durability, withstanding extreme temperature conditions and rarely breaking.

Copper is impermeable and biostatic, meaning that contaminants are unable to penetrate it, the growth of harmful bacteria is inhibited, plus it’s a natural material, not synthetic.

This makes copper piping a safe option for residential and commercial buildings and they won’t melt, burn or give off toxic fumes.

2. In 1500 B.C., rainwater cisterns were developed on the island of Crete to collect water needed for drinking, washing and cooking.

Underground cisterns still exist today, experiencing a resurgence of popularity as households seek to reduce their carbon footprint by utilising rainwater.

Although not suitable to drink, recycled water can be used to wash clothes, do the gardening and flush toilets without the need for further purification. It’s clean, neither hard nor soft, and doesn’t contain the additives that are fed into mains water systems to kill germs.

3. The Romans advanced ancient plumbing systems from 500 B.C. onwards.

The Roman Empire developed aqueducts as well as underground sewer systems, public and private baths, and lead and bronze piping systems.

Rome is perhaps where extravagant bathroom design was inspired too, as it was the Romans who first created marble fixtures with gold and silver fittings.

4. Sir John Harington, godson to Queen Elizabeth, invented the first flushing water closet in 1596.

In most developed countries, flushing toilets are now standard but in Japan the designs and functions have become even more elaborate, yielding advanced features such as built-in bidets, lid sensors, heat adjustable toilet seats, automatic air-deodorising and air conditioning for hot summer days.

5. In 1728, the first underground sewer was installed in New York to rid the city of the smells emitted from open sewers.

Today, sewerage companies are responsible for the UK’s public sewers, which usually run beneath our roads and through public open spaces, working to prevent unappealing smells escaping and the spread of disease.

Drains and private sewers that carry household waste are normally the responsibility of a homeowner, landlady or landlord up until the point they reach the public sewer system.

6. The first public water system was installed under the streets of New York in recognition of the need for an accessible water supply following numerous fires.

Fire hydrants are now used globally, altering in appearance between countries.

In the UK, hydrants are located in the ground, signified by yellow ‘H’ signs that are mounted to nearby walls or posts. These signs display two numbers to indicate the diameter of the water main and the distance it is from the sign; information required by fire brigades in emergencies to supply water to their pumps.

Without these historical events our plumbing systems as we know them today wouldn’t exist, and without a doubt, they will continue to evolve as new technologies are developed.

¹ Wikipedia, 2015. 2011 Christchurch earthquake. [Online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Christchurch_earthquake. [Accessed 11th March 2015].