jan 1, 1700 - 1700 Street Level Pumps

Description:

In the 1700’s, the City of Boston sold fresh water from the system to residents at street-level pumps. Wooden pipes were used for municipal water delivery until the early 1800’s, -when the size of the system grew large enough to require pressurization. The wooden water infrastructure couldn’t hold up to the pressure, so iron pipes – first used in Philadelphia – were substituted.

In the early 1700s, New York, as did Boston, had constructed a wooden pipe system under the roads, and sold water at street pumps or hydrants. It would take New York another 25 years to lay underground sewers for storm water as well.

Added to timeline:

Date: