Plumbers and Plumbing Supplies

Plumbers and plumbing contractors

plumbing \Plumb"ing\, n. 1. The art of casting and working in lead or other materials, and applying it to building purposes; especially, the business of furnishing, fitting, and repairing pipes for conducting water, sewage, etc.
2. The lead or iron pipes, and other apparatus, used in conveying water, sewage, etc., in a building.

Plumbing
A system of piping that carries water into and out of a building. To protect public health, every inhabited building must have a supply of safe water for drinking, a water supply for the operation of the plumbing fixtures and appliances, and a sanitary drainage system for wastewater disposal. To provide the sanitary facilities required, local government authorities are responsible for establishing regulations known as plumbing codes, which govern the design, minimum number, and requirements for installation of fixtures.

Archaeologists have found evidence of systems for disposal of human waste in dwellings 10,000 years old. Waste disposal and running water were commonly incorporated in the palaces of royalty and priests in ancient times. Plumbing became standard in dwellings by the end of the 19th century.

In developed communities, water under pressure is secured from street water mains and piped into the buildings. In other areas, water must be obtained from on-site wells or nearby streams or lakes. Drainage systems are of two basic types: sanitary and storm water. Sanitary drainage systems carry waste through a sewer to a sewage treatment facility (see Sewage Disposal). Storm water drainage systems carry rainwater from the roof through a sewer to a body of water or to a dry well (an area of the ground where wastewater can drain into the surrounding soil). Both water supply and drainage systems must be designed to prevent serious contamination of the water and to stop sewer gas from entering the building.

Aqueduct, channel built to transport water. An aqueduct may be an open or enclosed canal, a tunnel, or a pipeline; an aqueduct bridge carries a canal over a valley or river. Aqueducts were constructed by ancient cultures in India and Mesopotamia, but the aqueduct system constructed by the Romans was probably the most extensive in the ancient world. The first to be built by the Romans, Aqua Appia (about 310 BC) was an underground aqueduct about 16 km (10 mi) long. Ancient Rome was supplied by more than ten aqueducts, providing the city with about 143,845 cu m (38 million gallons) of water each day. Parts of several are still in use. The Romans built aqueducts, many of which are still standing, in all parts of their empire.

In modern times, several extensive aqueducts have been built in Europe. In the United States, large aqueduct systems supply water to Boston, Baltimore, Saint Louis, New York City, Los Angeles, and other large cities. The aqueduct system supplying water to New York City is more than 322 km (200 mi) long, most of it underground. The most extensive aqueduct system in the world supplies water to southern California. One of its major sources of water is the Colorado River. Water is carried 389 km (242 mi) over the San Bernardino Mountains to the terminal at Lake Mathews, California.