Home Improvement

Plumbing was first invented more than 4,000 years ago, although it wasn’t necessary named that. Plumbing comes from the Latin word, “plumbus” which actually means lead. However, the first plumbing systems weren’t even created from lead, but constructed from stone.
About 4,000 years ago, the people of Crete constructed the first drainage systems in the Minoan Palace. These emptied into sewers made of stone. Although the plumbing systems at that time were not as intricate or functional as what society has today, it was enough to give support for running water to people.

The plumbing system at Minoan Palace used terracotta pipes. This water flowed in fountains and faucets, and was available in both hot and cold. The palace also had a latrine, which was the first known toilet that flushed. This was hidden in the palace rubble for thousands of years, and so for some time, history showed that the English were the first to invent a flushing toilet in the 18th century.

The true formation of plumbing came about by the Romans, who developed the first hot tub. Additionally, the Romans made plumbing materials out of lead – therefore, giving it the name “plumbus.” In 50 A.D., the Romans developed baths used both publicly and privately. The baths had hot and cold water and, at first, were only emptied of the water once a day after they closed. It was in the Middle Ages when these baths became “hot tubs,” or known as brothels in water.

The Romans developed the first sewers in 800 B.C., but it wasn’t until the middle of the 1800s when the British built the first underground sewage system and made plumbing commonplace due to the passing of a public health law. The country invested millions of pounds to find plumbing innovations to develop proper sewage and plumbing systems for all residents. This also led to the further innovation of the toilet, which had been, up to that point, composed of two pieces. However, in the late 1800s, it was finally built as one solid structure.

Plumbing equipment has evolved over the centuries, but its basic principle remains the same: water circulation. As the industry continues to evolve, new and more technologically advanced equipment will emerge, but will follow the idea the Greeks established thousands of years ago.