Sanitary Sewers
What is a sanitary sewer? A sanitary sewer is a network of pipes (trenches were used centuries ago) that are used to transport human excrement and grey water to be disposed of or to be taken to facilities so that treatment can take place. Sanitary sewers have been in existence for many years, however many years ago they did not used to be quite as intricate and advanced as our modern-day sanitary sewer systems are. Imagine you are a normal person walking around your town in Europe during the 16th century just enjoying your day like any other, there are nice smells in the air from the market you just passed through, then something foul floats into your nose, the smell of human waste. The reason for this smell is due to the sewer system your town has. Along the sides of the road you are walking there are trenches dug, and in these trenches flows the human waste you can smell in the air. Plumbing in houses did not exist at the time, so the way waste would arrive at these trenches was by getting thrown out the window. It was customary for buckets of human excrement and water being mixed and then getting thrown out the window to be disposed of. This excrement slurry naturally never all made it into the trenches, with much of the excrement still laying in the streets where you would walk and children would play. This early form of sewer was extremely un-sanitary and led to many people getting sick. One of the many reasons for the outbreak of the black plague which destroyed much of Europe, was this terribly un-sanitary sewer system.
During the many centuries, sanitary sewers have gone through a very drastic evolution. Modern day sewers are now no longer out in the open above ground, but instead they are enclosed systems that are buried beneath the ground. New modern-day sewers are typically built using pipes made of a durable plastic called Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) which are placed in the ground to form a large network of pipes going every which way to transport human waste. These pipes are precisely sloped in such a way that will allow gravity to carry waste through the pipes and on to a treatment facility. Large concrete structures called manholes are placed throughout these pipe networks, which allow for access from ground level to the pipe. These manholes are necessary so that sanitary sewers can be inspected and also maintained.
The construction of a sanitary sewer is absolutely essential in today’s age. The first step in the construction of any new building, be it commercial or residential, is the creation of a sanitary sewer service that will be able to hold all the refuse. Nothing can get built without this very important first step.
