History of Plumbing in Seattle
It may seem difficult to believe, but there was a time when Seattle didn’t have a plumbing system. It now has one of the best systems in the nation, especially when it comes to water leak detection. Here’s an overview of how this happened.
The Early Days
When Seattle was established in 1851, people used either an outhouse or privy. They hauled water out of Elliot Bay to use in their homes. In the middle of the 1800s, wealthy people started putting the newly invented toilet in their homes. They were hooked up to a central sewage system that emptied at West Point Bay.
One of the major issues with this system was that when the tide came in twice a day, it could flood some Seattle neighborhoods. When this happened, sewer water would come gushing out of toilets. In 1892, sewage was collected in horse-drawn wagons and dumped several miles out in Puget Sound.
The Late 1800s
Seattle was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1889. The city was rebuilt in the same mudflats. Because of water problems, many properties were built higher than they were before. Plumbing companies also started to open as more and more people moved to the Emerald City.
Advances in the 20th Century
Almost all homes in Seattle had toilets by the 1940s. Wealthy homeowners often had one and a half bathrooms while average people had one. Plumbers had to join the local association and could only hire union labor. Later on, the Seattle city government created a solid public works department. The city council and mayor also passed laws governing water, sewer, and drainage installations.
A Modern Plumbing Company
At FloHawks Plumbing + Septic in Puyallup, we help people throughout the South Sound, Puget Sound, and Peninsula region. Our team offers residential, commercial, drain cleaning, and septic services. We were established in 1968 and are a 24/7 plumbing company. Please call us today for your plumbing needs.