When Was Indoor Plumbing Invented?

"When was indoor plumbing invented?" For those looking for a quick answer, indoor plumbing systems we recognize as similar to modern-day systems emerged in 1596. The longer answer is not straightforward because there isn't one inventor, but rather several innovations that emerged gradually over time.

The Emergence of Indoor Plumbing

Although plumbing, as we know it today, is not nearly as old as many other technologies and inventions, water pipes have been in use for five millennia. Between 3200 and 1500 BCE, systems of interconnected pipes and drains initially emerged in ancient Egypt and Sumer.

While there were clearly mechanisms in place for removing waste from public places and guiding unclean water out, the vast majority of latrines, like Rome's, were outside for approximately the next 2,000 years. The majority of households simply used chamber pots inside their homes and then manually cleaned the accumulated filth out of a window using a rope or stick. Many historians believe that diseases such as the bubonic plague were, in fact, caused by unsanitary living conditions.

The Development of Indoor Plumbing

The first steps toward toilets and indoor plumbing systems were taken in 1596, during the closing of the Middle Ages and at the beginning of The Renaissance. This was a time when there was an explosion of progress in arts, science, and philosophy. So naturally, someone began to think about sanitation rights around this time.

Sir John Harrington, an accomplished poet, and essayist who was also a godson of Queen Elizabeth I, invented the flush toilet. A lever-operated valve in the tank allowed water to enter the bowl. The water then emptied out of the bowl and went down a pipe to a holding tank after it was used.

Alexander Cummings, a Scottish inventor, refined John Harrington's idea in 1775 by adding the "S-trap," which ensured that some clean water would always flow back into the bowl and sewage would go to a cesspool. When combined with a flush valve, the curving pipe assured that some contaminated water would continue to flow back into the basin and waste would be sent away. Cummings was also the first person to obtain a patent; however, it's possible that Harrington could have done so if he had wished.

Establishing Modern Indoor plumbing

Flushable toilets were a rarity during the Industrial Revolution and were mostly unaffordable for the working class. In 1829, the first flush toilet was installed in Boston's Tremont House hotel by Isaiah Rogers. However, it wasn't until much later that they became more prevalent. Furthermore, running water was even less available, and those who did have access to it were mostly the very wealthy.

Government and public health officials finally began to see the risk of diseases that came from uncleanliness, leading to the implementation of sewer systems in large cities during the 19th century.

The modern sewage system is the result of the efforts of many civil engineers. During the mid-nineteenth century, there was a significant improvement in flush toilets as well during the second half of the century. Thomas Twyford was an inventor who invented and patented improved toilet mechanisms or elements that increased their efficacy.

In the 20th century, a combination of innovators and public policy initiatives led to widespread indoor plumbing, and flush toilets became the norm. Despite wartime manufacturing needs that limited steel and copper piping, inventors switched to plastic and lead pipes -- PVC pipes are now quite prevalent all around the world.

Modern toilets and sewage systems may not be glamorous inventions, but they are critical to our daily lives. Can you imagine going about your day without an indoor plumbing system? Our lives would be significantly different — and not in a good way.