Also, firefighters needed an easily accessible water supply to combat blazes in the mostly wooden structures. The first sewer pipes in the U. However, with the advent of steam-powered water pumps, the pressure rose too high for wooden pipes and new materials were necessary. The history of plumbing in America really begins in Philadelphia; the first city in the world to use cast iron pipes for its water and sewage system, and the first in the U.
Rural areas remained far behind their developed counterparts and many did not get running water, through the use of hand pumps, until the s or 60s. For a lot of communities, this was 20 years after they had received electricity. As a result, the water no longer smelled like sewage, and the bowl could be easily cleaned after every use.
Philadelphia was the first city that switched entirely to cast iron pipes to create their new system of water delivery. The English Regency shower was first introduced in A. The water is plumbed through a nozzle and then sprayed at shoulder level. The water was then collected and pumped through the shower again. Tremont Hotel of Boston was the first hotel of its kind to feature indoor plumbing for guests. Eight water closets were built by Isaiah Rogers.
Until , indoor water closets were commonly found in the homes of the rich and luxury hotels. Soon, soap was introduced during bathing and catches on for hygiene purposes. The White House was first plumbed with running water on the main floor.
Upstairs plumbing was later introduced when President Franklin Pierce was in office. Image by McClatchy DC. Thomas Crapper patented his valve-and-siphon design, updating the modern toilet in the process.
His work revolutionized the modern concept of plumbing. Flood was first founded in Washington, D. The company started serving Northern Virginia and Maryland as it grew.
Image by John C. The elevated water tank became the most contemporary closed toilet water tank and bowl that most people have in their bathrooms today. Image by Buildipedia. In the s, most US citizens still lived in rural areas and small towns. These areas were difficult to modernize because most lacked any form of supporting infrastructure.
During the s, this all changed, as the government began supporting work that would spread pipes and running water all across the country. It was this event more than any other that gave us what we now know as modern plumbing. It also gave us the first modern plumbers.
Outhouses were slow to become outdated; they were still widely used into the s and beyond. As water and waste systems became more complex, they eventually phased out. By the s and 80s, every newly installed house in America had a recognizable toilet and water system. This trend has continued until the current day, with innovation mostly revolving around efficiency and durability. Understanding of health and sanitation has increased overall as well.
Our ability to treat water and render it safe for consumption has never been higher. The history of plumbing is in many ways a history of civilization. Without it, we would still have to rely on natural running water, like rivers, to flush waste away from our homes. Populations continue to expand and will likely never slow down.
More attention is being paid now to advancing our plumbing systems than ever before. The next few decades are guaranteed to add more to the storied history of plumbing in the annals of civilization. Many problems, like clogged pipes , can still plague your plumbing systems. Is your plumbing acting up?
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