How One Gross Invention Added Decades to Human Life episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 12, 2026 · 20 MIN

How One Gross Invention Added Decades to Human Life

from Our American Stories · host iHeartPodcasts

On this episode of Our American Stories, before modern sanitation, cities were filthy, drinking water was often contaminated, and diseases like cholera and typhoid killed hundreds of thousands of people. Life in even the world's greatest cities could be dangerous, all because of a problem most people would rather not talk about.Our own Greg Hengler explores the surprising history of the toilet, sewer systems, and sanitation, tracing their evolution from ancient Rome to modern America. Along the way, he tells the story of the inventors, engineers, and public health pioneers whose overlooked innovations helped add decades to human life and made modern civilization possible. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 12, 2026

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How One Gross Invention Added Decades to Human Life

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