Plumbing has been around since ancient civilizations, including Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese. In ancient Rome, expansive aqueduct systems, tile wastewater disposal, and widespread use of lead pipes were introduced. To appreciate the modern plumbing advancements that many of us take for granted in New York City, it helps to learn a little about the history of plumbing here. We can't talk about plumbing in New York City or the rest of the New World without first bowing to the civilizations that created the foundations of modern plumbing.
While advances were made as soon as 6,000 B. C. in places like Pakistan (drains and cesspools), Egypt (copper pipes) and the Greek island of Crete (hot and cold running water), the design of the pipes really took off with the ancient Romans. The Romans were very skilled plumbers, practically obsessed with art.
In fact, the word “plumbing” comes from the Latin word “plumbum”, which means lead. Lead was used in all plumbing systems in Ancient Rome, although now, of course, we know that there are healthier and more durable alternatives. The Romans built sophisticated sewers, faucets and toilets. However, they were best known for their aqueduct system, an incredible feat of engineering that still informs the way drinking water is supplied in contemporary urban life. Sadly, when Roman civilization fell, many of its innovations in plumbing were lost, and societies returned to much cruder ways of supplying water and disposing of waste for hundreds of years later. It was these rudimentary methods of plumbing that accompanied Europeans to the Americas and remained with them for the first two centuries of settlement there, including in New Amsterdam, which later became New York City.
It wasn't until around the time of the Industrial Revolution that the United States saw flashes of what are now normal plumbing systems. Meanwhile, New York City tried to make the waste system as efficient as possible. Many buildings and houses had no interior piping of any kind until the middle or late 19th century. Residents used latrines and urinals as toilets, and neighborhood houses often forced 25 or 30 people to share a latrine. As you can imagine, vermin and disease were just as important a problem as privacy was in those days.
The disposal of human waste was big business, and “the men in the night dirt cars competed for contracts to transport waste to the outskirts of the city or to its waterways (no longer allowed).Although the first patent for a flushed toilet dates back to 1775, New York did not have indoor toilets as a standard until the end of the 19th century. There were several obstacles to overcome first. In addition to building toilets and seeking funds to do so, the city needed a sewage system for waste disposal (see below). There was also a fear that sewer gases would enter people's homes, since it was mistakenly thought at the time that this gas was a source of disease. Fortunately, the invention of the sewer vent in 1874 solved that problem.
Finally, the Housing Act of 1901 required the inclusion of at least one toilet in each unit, although it took several decades for all families to reap the benefits of this historic legislation. Once dependencies became a thing of the past with the advent of flushed toilets, New York City needed a new way to dispose of building debris. A ditch in the street or garbage collection trucks would no longer serve. Construction of the sewage system began in 1849, driven by a major cholera outbreak. Seventy miles of sewer were laid for the first five years, which were extended in the second half of the century.
By 1902, most of the city had sewer service, including a large percentage of neighborhood homes. Today, New York City's sewer system contains 6,600 miles of pipes and pipes. If placed end-to-end, they would extend from New York to Alaska and back again. Sewer System Now Transports Wastewater and Stormwater from Street Drains. The city has 14 wastewater treatment plants, which handle 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily.
Water and waste from the network circulate through progressively smaller pipes before reaching treatment plants. Like the city's clean water supply (see below), this fluid depends mainly on gravity flow and not on mechanical pumps. In the early days, New York City had its own wooden piping system, and fresh water could be purchased from pumps or hydrants. However, demand was generally greater than supply until steam energy in the 1800s improved speed at which water could be pumped. Many residents still carried their water from streams ponds and springs around city while some were digging private wells. Drinking water was premium.
In 1842 there was change rules game which allowed more than just very rich have running water drink bathe Croton's aqueduct system opened that year after five years construction Croton River could supply water Westchester County reservoirs closest city. Today New York City's water comes from 19 different reservoirs three controlled lakes System giant network allows water move one body another counteract effects drought meet fluctuating needs addition much system gravity-driven which means it's better environment phenomenon began 1880s continues.
