While early water systems exited in various parts of the world including ancient Babylonians, Greeks, and Mayans, it was the Romans who harnessed and refined the use of lead pipe in the soldering, installing, and repairing of pipe, gutters, sewers and drains.
Water Systems
Though the development of a water supply was not new technology, the Roman's development of extensive hot water and steam systems were. The Romans actively sought to provide for the needs of their society while at the same time producing facilities that helped to build a community. The baths of the Emperor Caracalla, for example, covered a nearly 28 acre site and contained more than 1,600 marble seats. Water was supplied to these facilities via a series of aqueducts, streaming by gravity along miles of contoured land. The longest overhead section was about 14 miles long, but by 52 A.D., channeling covered a total of 220 miles all but 30 miles underground. At its peak development, aqueducts carried about 300 gallons of water for every citizen.
By the 4th century A.D., Rome would have 11 public baths, 1,352 public fountains and cisterns, and 856 private baths. In Pompeii, some homes had 30 taps.
Waste/Sewer Systems
While understanding that the importance of waste disposal was not a new concept as people all around the world participated in the practice of waste running downstream, the Romans were the first to have effectively developed a complex system of waste removal that was able to serve increasingly large city populations. The first sewers of Rome were built between 800 B.C. and 735 B.C., preceding the first aqueduct by about 500 years. Called the Cloaca Maxima, this sewer is one of the largest of the ancient sewers still in use. It was designed to carry off the surface water, and otherwise provide drainage for the entire city.
