History of Sewage

Methods of waste disposal date from ancient times, and sanitary sewers have been found in the ruins of the prehistoric cities of Crete and the ancient Assyrian cities. Storm-water sewers built by the Romans are still in service today. Although the primary function of these was drainage, the Roman practice of dumping refuse in the streets caused significant quantities of organic matter to be carried along with the rainwater runoff. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, below-ground privy vaults and, later, cesspools were developed. When these containers became full, sanitation workers removed the deposit at the owner's expense. The wastes were used as fertilizer at nearby farms or were dumped into watercourses or onto vacant land.
A few centuries later, there was renewed construction of storm sewers, mostly in the form of open channels or street gutters. At first, disposing of any waste in these sewers was forbidden, but by the 19th century it was recognized that community health could be improved by discharging human waste into the storm sewers for rapid removal. Development of municipal water-supply systems and household plumbing brought about flush toilets and the beginning of modern sewer systems. Despite reservations that sanitary sewer systems wasted resources, posed health hazards, and were expensive, many cities built them; by 1910 there were about 25,000 miles of sewer lines in the United States.

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