Eco-friendly Plumbing The Pinery

The idea of sustainable plumbing goes back to the kinds of advanced drainage and sewage systems used in indoor plumbing as early as 2600-1900 BCE in civilizations along the Indus River Valley. Those Shaughnessy-esque plumbing practices haven't been used for hundreds of years. Still, they offer one of the historical precursors to not only sustainable plumbing but also the idea of sustainable practices in general. After all, eco-friendly plumbing wasn't a thing when The Pinery started having its plumbing problems.

In the Pinery, plumbing can be made more efficient, and the following steps can be taken toward eco-friendliness: Install toilets that achieve high efficiency and use 20 to 60 percent less water per flush than standard gravity-fed toilets. These water-saving devices do not sacrifice performance in the slightest.Conversely, faucets and shower heads that are low-flow do not perform as well as their full-flow counterparts. (And what about all those times eco-friendly Sheryl Crow is in your head, telling you to "save water"? That's right: Use less in the shower, and you'll use less in the dish pit. Use more in the dish pit, and you'll exceed your water bill. Blame it on Crow, if you must.) Still, plumbing can waste a lot of water in spots where there is no flow.

Green plumbing comprises various elements that, when put together, lead to incredible conservation and sustainability accomplishments. "At its heart, green plumbing is just plumbing that doesn't waste water," says Pat Campbell, a green plumbing expert and instructor at the Phoenix-based Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association. Campbell explains that saving water means saving energy because water is heated, and energy and water have a reciprocal relationship. So if we save the water, we save energy as well. Campbell notes that not using plumbed water fixtures—using effective rainwater collection, for instance—is part of green plumbing. However, such plumbing also includes low-flow toilets and showerheads, instant hot water heaters, and using PEX piping, which is not only more energy-efficient but also a sustainable resource.

The ancient Romans are well known for developing some of the earliest forms of indoor plumbing. Their impressive systems of aqueducts, public baths, and plumbing in the wealthier homes of the empire are a testament to their advanced engineering skills and focus on matters of public health and sanitation.

What is present-day Pakistan and northwestern India was once home to the sophisticated indoor plumbing and sewage systems of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Prior to the establishment of plumbing systems, residents of places like The Pinery relied on a variety of methods to access their water. "Natural bodies of water, like rivers, lakes, and streams were the typical go-to for residents. Those living too far from water's edge, or in the rugged terrain of The Pinery, likely drew their water from wells dug deep into the Earth. That said, these methods were a not-so-simple solution to a basic need, and I haven't even mentioned the water that was gathered from rain and stored in containers for more frequent use."

The sophisticated plumbing system of the Roman civilization is well known.

The term Meluha denotes the ancient civilization of the Indus Valley, which was renowned for its exceptional urban planning and architecture. Along with these, the long-lost civilization of Meluha was famous for its impressive management of water resources and systems that were high sustainable and eco-friendly.

Ancient civilizations, particularly the Indus Valley one, used the Great Bath as a place for bathing and socializing. This structure, understood to be part of what is now termed the "Great Citadel," must have played a significant role in the communal living of the people who inhabited Mohenjo-daro. It worked in tandem with the incredible drainage system of the site, and it was undoubtedly a part of people's lives on a regular basis.

The Roman civilization has a long-standing reputation for constructing and maintaining sewer systems that are among the finest in the world. The Romans developed an impressive and advanced infrastructure that included stunning public buildings, massive aqueduct systems, and even "smart" public toilets, all supported by an elaborate network of sewer and drainage systems in places like Rome, the capital of their empire. Although sewers like the Cloaca Maxima were certainly substantial engineering achievements in their time, they were, in essence, a far less efficient way to manage waste than what we have today.