History of Indoor Plumbing Details and Tidbits
It’s important that we learn from the past and gain an understanding of the developments that led us to this point.
In the plumbing field, the history of indoor plumbing is an interesting story that stretches back thousands of years.
Because of this, in this latest post, our team at Plumb Works in Atlanta, GA explores more on the interesting history of internal plumbing systems.
The Indus Valley Civilization
In 2350 BCE, the Indus Valley Civilization had their very own version of the modern toilet installed in their homes. In the city of Lothal, the population had private toilets in their properties.
These toilets connected with a primitive version of the modern sewer systems and carried waste to local waterways and cesspools.
The Roman Builders
The Romans were known for their engineering feats. The Roman Empire’s aqueducts were an example from the time and helped to transport water to and from local areas around the region.
Romans were among the first people around the world to have separate sources for drinking water, cooking water and water for cleaning. And they had public bathhouses and public latrines for use by the general population.
The Flush Toilet in Versailles
In the 18th century, conditions in France were difficult for the general population. This is particularly true of areas with dense populations such as Versailles.
The Queen of France at the time Marie Antoinette lived in Versailles in the royal palace and became frustrated with the waste in the streets and refused to use the same facilities as the commoners. She had a flush toilet installed at the palace in Versailles. The flush toilet was an early version of the modern toilets, and her version required waste be manually removed from below the palace.
The Modern Sensor Toilets
Now we move closer to the modern era and the invention of sensor toilets in 1986 in Japan. These sensor toilets are designed to sense when the person stands up or moves away from the toilet after use.
The flush system is automatically engaged, and the waste is then transported away via the normal sewer system. The sensor toilet’s design has been honed over the years, and these systems are now in public use around the globe.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this insight into the history of indoor plumbing. Join us again as we explore more plumbing related topics in the future!
