Michelle Killebrew Plumbing Instructor

Episode 1
Bermuda: Survival Through Water

As I’m entering the port heading back to normal life after a cruise to Bermuda, I figured this was the perfect place to begin my new series on the history of plumbing and how water shaped civilizations.
Bermuda is a small island surrounded by some of the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen.

Every morning the ocean looked like someone had poured turquoise dye into it.

But despite being surrounded by water, Bermuda has a major challenge:

Very little fresh drinking water.
Early settlers quickly learned that if they wanted to survive, they had to capture and protect every drop of rainwater possible.

That necessity shaped the island’s architecture, engineering, and way of life.

Homes in Bermuda are built with underground cisterns (water storage tanks) that collect rainwater from the roofs. The island’s famous white limestone roofs are not just beautiful — they are specially designed to slow, direct, and collect rainwater into the cistern system below.

The roofs must be regularly cleaned and repainted with a limestone coating to help keep the water safe enough for use without major purification.

Every drop matters.

If a family runs out of water, they can purchase water deliveries to refill their cisterns — often costing around $120 for 1,000 gallons.
Bermuda also uses a desalination system to help provide freshwater, but producing water this way is expensive, especially when fuel costs on the island can reach nearly $10 per gallon and almost everything must be imported.

It’s a reminder that plumbing has never just been about convenience.

It’s about survival.

Without water storage, drainage, and sanitation systems, entire communities and civilizations could not exist.

The history of plumbing is the history of human survival.

More episodes coming soon.

Many thanks to my amazing driver who was so kind to spend the day with two yappy girls from USA. New friend for life!

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As I conclude my exploration of Bermuda on a recent cruise, I am reminded of a profound insight: the pivotal role plumbing has played in shaping the history and resilience of every country I have visited. Plumbing's impact, though often underappreciated until it fails, is undeniable. It has the capacity to either propel or hinder a nation's progress, underscoring its significance in our daily lives. Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing observations from my travels, highlighting the contributions of unsung heroes in the plumbing profession and the regulations they establish to safeguard public health and safety.

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