The Roman Sewer System
The object I have taken my selfie with may appear to be a mere drain cover, but it in fact is the sewer and intricate plumbing system beneath that holds Roman influence. While obviously not an actual sewer system from ancient Rome, the modern system takes much influence from the ingenious Roman aqueducts and waste flushing mechanisms that kept the city clean. While the Haverford sewer system most likely began to take shape in the 1800s, the Romans were laying concrete and lead pipes through their magnificent city in about 200 BC. The sewer cover I took my picture with was made in India, but the majority of the piping and concrete needed to create the vast underground channels for waste in the US are made in the USA. In Rome, the first sewers were created by the Etruscans in 500 BC and were largely expanded upon over time. In support of the use of the budding sewer system, Roman law was passed that protected innocent bystanders from assault by wastes thrown into the street. Convenient and effective, the Roman sewers started to begin being directly connected to homes in about 100 AD. The Romans also created elevated aqueducts to control the water flower through their system, as well as where higher and lower quality water could be directed to. Strabo, a Greek author who lived from about 60 BC to AD 24, said about the sewer system: “The sewers, covered with a vault of tightly fitted stones, have room in some places for hay wagons to drive through them. And the quantity of water brought into the city by aqueducts is so great that rivers, as it were, flow through the city and the sewers; almost every house has water tanks, service pipes, and plentiful streams of water.” The sewer system in ancient Rome was a subterranean wonder of the world, an impressive feat of engineering that displayed the Romans’ commitment to cleanliness as well as showcasing the luxuries they could afford. Our modern system was heavily influenced by the Romans’ work, and we have them to thank for literally and figuratively paving the way.