That’s right, you read the title correctly – we’re going to share a few interesting and fun facts about drains and plumbing. We know that when you take the time to think about drains, it’s usually when they don’t work and are causing you hassle! But admittedly, we really would be pretty lost without them, and a little bit smelly – in fact, don’t imagine a world without drains, it will only make you feel ill.
So, here we go… we’ll begin with the fascinating history of drains…
2500 BC – Egyptians
The Egyptians were one of the first documented civilisations to have created drainage systems. Water was a huge part of their purification rituals, so it was important to have clean, healthy water – see, we told you that drains were interesting…
1700 BC – The Minoans
In Knossos on the Greek Island of Crete, The Minoan Palace has four, that’s right FOUR whole drainage systems. These systems emptied sewage into vast sewers made of stone – it must have taken a lot of effort to build and fix them!
800 BC – 4th Century AD – The Romans
The Romans not only laid strong, straight roads, they also created sewer systems in Rome that were known as Cloaca Maxima. Now, we all know that the Romans loved their baths and to ensure that they enjoyed the luxurious soak that they so desired, they needed clean and safe water.
The Romans famously invented the aqueduct, some of which are still used today to supply bath houses with water. They didn’t stop there; by 4th century AD Rome had 1,352 fountains, 11 public bath houses and a breathtaking 856 private baths – we take our hard hats off to you, Romans!
1775 – England
Our very own Alexander Cumming patented the two piece flushing toilet design. In fact his basic design is still used today, although it was improved by Joseph Bramar in 1778. Where would we be without the flushing toilet? In an unpleasant place, that’s where!
1870 – England
Thomas Twyford created a revolutionary one piece toilet – complete without any metal parts! He was the first one to create a wholly ceramic toilet. This is the type of toilet that you’ll see in stores mostly today – thanks Tom!
So, there you go; a brief insight into the wonderful history of drains with some fun facts to boot – we bet that these come in handy at your next pub quiz!
Here at Inspect-a-Drain we take care of blocked drains Derby residents sometimes suffer from plus the surrounding areas and offer a large range of drainage services. If you would like more information about who we are and what we do, please get in contact! Call now on 0115 8226086 or 07967 029298 to discuss your drainage problems today.