Drains through history

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Drains and drainage systems are incredibly important to our everyday life and our health and hygiene. A blocked drain that needs the services of a Blocked Drains Essex company, will soon start to emit a horrid smell as stagnant water and bacteria start to build up in the pipes. But how have our drainage systems developed over the years.

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Back in the 7th Century the answer to clean water and the removal of wastewater was Aqueducts. These complex systems transported clean drinking water to an area where people could access it; it took away wastewater through a system of ditches, pipes, canals and tunnels that all worked using the natural force of gravity.

It wasn’t until the 16th Century that we had the first flushing toilet thanks to Sir John Harrington. It looked nothing like the toilet that we have nowadays but it helped to quickly remove any waste that was present and prevent bacteria and bad odours from being created.

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In the Victorian Era the River Thames was not the beautiful site that it is now as it was effectively used as an open sewer to take away waste products as quickly as possible from the capital. This is one of the main reasons that plagues and pests ravaged Victorian London.

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