Roman Plumbers: Thanks for Copper, but not for Lead...

Fun fact - before becoming a home inspector I was a History teacher.  My favorite topic to teach was the Roman Empire.  I think studying History is fascinating and useful for anyone no matter what your profession.  One thing I learned about the Romans that interests me as a home inspector is that they (sort of) invented modern plumbing.  While the Romans weren’t the first to develop techniques to supply and dispose of water to and from their city, they were the most advanced plumbers in the ancient world.  In fact, the word plumbing comes from the Latin word plumbum, which to the Romans meant “liquid silver.”  The Romans primarily used two plumbing materials to supply water to their empire: lead and copper.

Some historians suggest lead poisoning may have been one of the many causes for the fall of the Roman Empire.  The Romans famously developed a complex water supply infrastructure fed by aqueducts that brought fresh water to the city from almost 60 miles away.  These aqueducts supplied water to over 2,000 fountains and 170 public baths.  Some wealthy Romans even used this water to heat their homes with the world’s first furnaces (or hypocausts).  Elite Roman citizens had this water supplied to their homes using lead pipes (shown below).  The most powerful and influential Romans were unknowingly ingesting a poisonous chemical element nearly every time they took a drink or took a bite to eat (they used lead vessels for cooking as well).  

Unlike Ancient Rome, in the United States today it is not the powerful elite who are most likely to be subject to lead poisoning, but rather our nation’s poor.  Areas in our country where the infrastructure has not been updated (i.e. Flint, Michigan) as well as older homes that have not been updated or remodeled may still contain dangerous levels of lead in building materials (water pipes, paint, etc.).  Lead was used as a standard water-supply piping in the United States until the 1920s when it’s dangerous toxicity levels were no longer acceptable.  In fact, lead materials were not banned by plumbing codes until the 1980’s and I still see them in homes today! (*Another “fun” fact - before becoming a teacher I was an EPA certified renovator trained in lead safe work practices).  

While the Egyptians were the first to use copper piping the innovative Romans borrowed the idea and expanded it to new technology, creating copper valves, pumps, and other fittings.  Today, copper is the most common material used in water supply piping worldwide.  What the Romans didn’t know that we have since discovered is that copper (along with the alloy brass made by mixing copper and zinc) are naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.  This means that your copper water lines and brass fittings in your home’s plumbing system are actually protecting your health.  Other common household objects and items made of copper or brass (door knobs, pennies, bathroom fixtures, dishes, jewelry etc.) are also working to naturally protect you from harmful fungus and bacteria.  

So, while the Romans may have unknowingly contributed to our nation’s history of lead-poisoned plumbing infrastructure, they also accidentally contributed to protecting our bodies from harmful fungus and bacteria.  Thanks, Romans! (for the copper, not the lead).