Editing Plumbing (section)

== History ==
{{See also|History of plumbing|Sanitation in ancient Rome}}
[[File:Lead pipe - Bath Roman Baths.jpg|thumb|upright|Roman lead pipe with a folded seam, at the [[Roman Baths (Bath)|Roman Baths]] in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], England]]

Plumbing originated during ancient civilizations, as they developed [[public baths]] and needed to provide [[drinking water|potable water]] and [[sewerage|wastewater removal]] for larger numbers of people.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archaeologists Urge Pentagon To Keep Soldiers From Destroying|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=20030319&id=0jsfAAAAIBAJ&pg=6854,2226879|access-date=December 27, 2013|newspaper=Herald-Journal|date=March 19, 2003}}</ref>

The [[Mesopotamians]] introduced the world to clay sewer pipes around 4000 BCE, with the earliest examples found in the Temple of Bel at [[Nippur]] and at [[Eshnunna]],<ref name="FLUORIDATED WATER CONTROVERSY">{{cite book|last1=Burke|first1=Joseph|title=FLUORIDATED WATER CONTROVERSY|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdIoDwAAQBAJ&q=The+Babylonians+introduced+the+world+to+clay+sewer+pipes%2C+c4000+BCE%2C+with+the+earliest+examples+found+in+the+Temple+of+Bel+at+Nippur+and+at+Eshnunna%2C+Babylonia.&pg=PA2|access-date=August 4, 2017|isbn=9781365912870|date=April 24, 2017|publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref> used to remove wastewater from sites, and capture rainwater, in wells. The city of [[Uruk]] contains the oldest known examples of brick constructed [[Latrine]]s, constructed atop interconnecting fired clay sewer pipes, {{Circa|3200 BCE}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mitchell|first=Piers D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HU6rCwAAQBAJ&q=McMahon,+A.+in+Sanitation,+Latrines+and+Intestinal+Parasites+in+Past+Populations&pg=PA263|title=Sanitation, Latrines and Intestinal Parasites in Past Populations|date=March 3, 2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-05953-0|pages=22|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wald|first=Chelsea|date=May 26, 2016|title=The secret history of ancient toilets|url=http://www.nature.com/news/the-secret-history-of-ancient-toilets-1.19960|journal=Nature News|language=en|volume=533|issue=7604|pages=456–458|doi=10.1038/533456a|pmid=27225101|bibcode=2016Natur.533..456W|s2cid=4398699}}</ref> Clay pipes were later used in the [[Hittites|Hittite]] city of [[Hattusa]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Burney|first=Charles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=azPl5Jzv930C&q=Hattusa+clay+pipes&pg=PA307|title=Historical Dictionary of the Hittites|date=April 19, 2004|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6564-8|language=en}}</ref> They had easily detachable and replaceable segments, and allowed for cleaning.

Standardized earthen plumbing pipes with broad [[flange]]s making use of [[Bitumen|asphalt]] for preventing leakages appeared in the urban settlements of the [[Indus Valley civilization]] by 2700 BC.<ref>Teresi et al. 2002</ref>

Copper piping appeared in Egypt by 2400 BCE, with the [[Pyramid of Sahure]] and adjoining temple complex at [[Abusir]], found to be connected by a copper waste pipe.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bunson|first=Margaret|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-6EJ0G-4jyoC&q=Abusir+copper+pipe+ancient+egypt&pg=PA6|title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt|date=May 14, 2014|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-0997-8|pages=6|language=en}}</ref>

The word  "plumber" dates from the [[Roman Empire]].<ref>Pulsifer, William H. [https://archive.org/details/notesforhistoryo00pulsrich Notes For a History of Lead], New York University Press, 1888. pp. 132, 158</ref> The [[Latin]] for [[lead]] is ''{{lang|la|plumbum}}''.  Roman roofs used lead in conduits and drain pipes<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Px4XAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA821 Middleton, The Remains of Ancient Rome, Vol. 2, A & C Black, 1892]</ref> and some were also covered with lead. Lead was also used for [[piping]] and for making baths.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081121025509/http://www.ila-lead.org/factbook/annex.pdf Historical production and uses of lead]. ila-lead.org</ref>

Plumbing reached its early apex in [[Sanitation in ancient Rome|ancient Rome]], which saw the introduction of expansive systems of [[Roman aqueduct|aqueducts]], [[tile]] [[wastewater]] removal, and widespread use of [[lead pipe]]s. The Romans used [[lead pipe inscription]]s to prevent [[water theft]]. With the [[Fall of the Western Roman Empire|Fall of Rome]] both water supply and sanitation stagnated—or regressed—for well over 1,000 years.  Improvement was very slow, with little effective progress made until the growth of modern densely populated cities in the 1800s. During this period, [[public health]] authorities began pressing for better waste disposal systems to be installed, to prevent or control [[epidemic]]s of disease. Earlier, the waste disposal system had consisted of collecting waste and dumping it on the ground or into a river. Eventually the development of separate, underground water and sewage systems eliminated open sewage ditches and [[cesspit|cesspools]].

In post-classical [[Kilwa Kisiwani|Kilwa]] the wealthy enjoyed indoor plumbing in their stone homes.<ref>The Travels of Ibn Battuta</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|last=Cartwright|first=Mark|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Kilwa/=false|encyclopedia=World History Encyclopedia|title=Kilwa|date=March 29, 2019}}</ref>

Most large cities today pipe solid wastes to [[sewage treatment]] plants in order to separate and partially purify the water, before emptying into streams or other bodies of water. For potable water use, [[galvanized iron]] piping was commonplace in the United States from the late 1800s until around 1960. After that period, copper piping took over, first soft copper with flared fittings, then with rigid copper tubing using soldered fittings.

The use of lead for potable water declined sharply after [[World War II]] because of increased awareness of the dangers of [[lead poisoning]]. At this time, copper piping was introduced as a better and safer alternative to lead pipes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Public Notice .Lead Contamination Informative City Ok Moscow Water System|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2026&dat=19880812&id=EZUrAAAAIBAJ&pg=3819,1428737|access-date=December 27, 2013|newspaper=Moscow-Pullman Daily News|date=August 12, 1988}}</ref>