Pompeii Had Piped Water to Houses in 30 BC Stockholm Got It About 1870 AD

Piped water to private houses is today normal in many countries. This thesis has demonstrated that Pompeii had piped water distributed in lead water pipes to private houses based on gravity flow already in antiquity. This modernity was introduced in the western world with pump technology after the industrial revolution, in Stockholm about 1870 AD. The water system in Pompeii is a remarkable technological achievement made in antiquity without formal scientific knowledge in hydraulics. The system in Pompeii was however not a model for water distribution in antiquity. In three other ancient cities water pipe connections to private houses are unknown or not investigated. The purpose of this article is to describe this innovation by summarizing conclusions from three studies of the water distribution system in Pompeii published by the author. The thesis has studied water systems in ancient cities not only based on archaeological remains but also on hydraulic engineering analysis. The first study investigated the route of the water system based on the water levels in the top containers and on the technical principle for gravity flow. These levels have not been discussed before. The size and orientation of the grooves in the water towers were also investigated and three not yet excavated but possible water towers were indicated. In the second study modern hydraulic analysis was used to show how balance in the system could have been achieved. The interplay between water flow and pipe dimension has not been discussed before. The third study discussed the ability of the water distribution system to supply water to all water users by introducing a calculation method for water quantities to users. This was to demonstrate how aqueduct water could reach all water users provided that the pipe dimensions were small enough. Larger pipes would have emptied the system. The conclusion is that Pompeii had piped water to private houses already in antiquity.