WHAT TO DO WITH OUR WASTE
Ancient Rome was home to some of the world’s first sewer systems. These underground waterways were first installed around 500 BCE and consisted of giant carved-stone tunnels. Today, many city sewers bear resemblance to those of ancient Rome – but their purpose may have been different. In the modern world, sewers’ main function is to carry unsanitary waste away from urban areas. In ancient Rome, however, their main role was to remove the excess water that could flood the streets.
Some homes were connected directly to the Romans’ covered drainage system. Other households simply tipped their sewage into the streets, but the streets were then washed to move waste into the sewers. Once there, it was contained in extensive tunnels, which the sewage travelled through until it reached nearby rivers. The architecture of sewers hasn’t changed too much since these ancient builds. In fact, the ‘Greatest Sewer’ of ancient Rome is still in use today.