It is a rapidly changing world with inventions and innovations that have inspired people to create bigger, better or faster inventions and innovations. Technology is the first thought that may come to your mind, however plumbing has an impressive innovation timeline. Mankind has come a long way from the stone toilets in Egypt in 2100 B.C. and the lead bathtubs in Greece in 432 B.C.
As they say, necessity is the mother of invention and when health and hygiene became a bigger concern, it became necessary to alleviate bacteria and illnesses and plumbing technology advanced. Indoor toilets were no longer luxury items, lead pipes were switched to copper and PVC and at the end of the 18 century, sanitary plumbing was studied with a concentration on water supply, drainage, waste disposal and sewage. Bathtubs became the rule instead of the exception after World War l.
Today, plumbing advancement has been transformed in ways we never would have thought possible even a few decades ago. For instance, taking disease prevention a step farther, touchless or automatic fixtures allow users to run their hands under a faucet to produce the flow of water. Toilets have become so advanced that they can sense a user has completed their business and will flush automatically, therefore keeping the user from touching an otherwise bacteria-laden flusher. This also saves thousands of gallons of water every year, making this plumbing advancement economically and environmentally beneficial as well. Waterless urinals are becoming more popular in public restrooms, however, they are available for home use too. The waterless urinals look like regular urinals but don’t have a pipe for water intake, don’t flush and drain by gravity.
Other innovations that make our lives more convenient and economically efficient include:
• Low-flow shower heads, which reduce household water consumption without hampering the shower experience.
• Video inspection technology that allows the technician to view the source of a clog or obstruction in a drain or sewer line.
• Hot water recirculation systems mean a homeowner will get hot water instantly, thus, saving cold water and money from going down the drain.
• The garbage disposal is an invention that makes cleaning up after a meal more convenient and less messy.
Over the next century, the advancements to plumbing will probably be mind boggling. Rest assured, the plumbing innovators will make it their mission to use water more efficiently, reduce or eliminate water needed to remove waste, a more efficient way to heat water, more efficient irrigation systems and so much more. These innovations may change the way the world lives and improve sanitation facilities around the world.
So today we would like to raise our glass of sparkling, clean water and toast the plumber.
http://www.visualizing.org/visualizations/plumbing-timeline
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2006/10/09/focus5.html?page=all
http://www.unicef.org/was
Maeser Master Services | Joni Crume
