The Historical Development of Sewers Worldwide

Abstract

Abstract:Although there is evidence of surface-based storm drainage systems in early Babylonian and Mesopotamian Empires in Iraq (ca. 4000-2500 BC), it is not until after ca. 3000 BC that we find evidence of the well organized and operated sewer and drainage systems of the Minoans and Harappans in Crete and the Indus valley, respectively. The Minoans and Indus valley civilizations originally, and the Hellenes and Romans thereafter, are considered pioneers in developing basic sewerage and drainage technologies, with OPEN ACCESS Sustainability 2014, 6 3937 emphasis on sanitation in the urban environment. The Hellenes and Romans further developed these techniques and greatly increased the scale of these systems. Although other ancient civilizations also contributed, notably some of the Chinese dynasties, very little progress was made during the Dark ages from ca. 300 AD through to the middle of the 18th century. It was only from 1850 onwards that that modern sewerage was "reborn", but many of the principles grasped by the ancients are still in use today. This paper traces the development of the sewer from those earliest of civilizations through to the present day and beyond. A 6000 year technological history is a powerful validation of the vital contribution of sewers to human history.

Evolution of Toilets Worldwide through the Millennia

“…They had large sewers built of stone. Some of the sewers were large enough for people to walk through [23]. …”

“…They had large sewers built of stone. Some of the sewers were large enough for people to walk through [23]. No public toilets were known in Minoan Crete, while in a number of houses the lavatory was located in the private living rooms (e.g., Knossos, Phaistos, Tylissos, Malia, and Gournia).…”

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“…Historically, the technological shift from open gutters to piped stormwater solutions enhanced the quality of urban life substantially (Ferriman 2007;De Feo et al 2014). However, city expansion, climate change and other drivers are stretching this technological regime tremendously (Chocat et al 2007).…”

Improving the understanding of concrete sewer corrosion through investigations of the gaseous hydrogen sulfide uptake and transformation processes in the corrosion layer

“…Archaeological evidence indicates that sewer systems existed in ancient Greece, Egypt, India and China since about 1000 AD (Angelakis et al, 2005;Burian and Edwards 2002;De Feo et al, 2014). These sewer systems were designed for the purpose of disposal of surface water, collection of stormwater for irrigation and discharge of sewage.…”

“…These sewer systems were designed for the purpose of disposal of surface water, collection of stormwater for irrigation and discharge of sewage. (De Feo et al, 2014). Nowadays, well-planned and maintained sewer systems are considered as a critical infrastructure component of sustainable urban communities.…”