History of Pipes and Plumbing

History of Pipes and Plumbing

To get to the luxurious destination of modern society where we can get hot and cold water delivered instantly on tap, our ancestors walked a dirty and cold path. Here’s the story of plumbing and how Gold Coast residents can enjoy a hot or cold shower anytime:

4000BC The Original Plumbers

Oldest evidence of plumbing found, with copper pipes discovered in the ruins of an Indian Palace.

2500BC Egyptian Copper Piping

The famed ancient Egyptians are shown to have used copper pipes to create functional bathrooms inside their renowned pyramids and for crop irrigation purposes.

1500BC Putting the ‘Crete’ in Excrete

The Mediterranean island of Crete advances plumbing technology by establishing an elaborate sewage system, collecting rainwater with the first cisterns, and creating a crude flushing system in the celebrated ‘Palace of Knossos’.

500BC Roman Advancements

The advanced society of the Romans moves plumbing forward, with the famed aqueducts carrying 1.2 billion litres of water daily 57 miles to the thirsty city, the underground sewerage systems greatly improving sanitary conditions, and bronze and lead piping developing from more primitive copper (note: speculation exists as to whether the lead piping caused lead poisoning for the citizens and helped contribute to the great society’s downfall!)

1455 German Iron Pipes

After smelting discoveries, German craftsmen created and installed the first iron pipes, a great enhancement from the potential nasty side effects of using lead.

1650 USA Wooden Pipes

Boston became the first American city to have plumbing, with hollowed out wood used to transport water in to help in fire‐fighting efforts (the irony of wood to fight fire!)

1870 A Hot Bath Please

The first modern hot water systems for personal home use begin to enter the market, allowing wealthy folk to access hot, instant water in their homes (can you imagine having no hot water on tap? No warm shower to start the day in winter?)

1960 PVC Pipe

Despite discovery in 1835, the humble PVC pipe did not become part of mainstream plumbing until the 1960s when its qualities in price and adaptability were recognised resulting in mass popularity.

Watch this video to learn more about recent history of plumbing:

The Future of Gold Coast Plumbing?

That is the story where we’ve been, who knows where we will end up, but rest assured whether you’re having an issue with your ancient Roman fountain pipe, or your futuristic pipeless home system, you can rely on the experienced Blocked Drain King to sort you out!