There’s artistry, elegance and excellence in state-of-the-art plumbing systems, and you don’t have to be a professional in the trade to know it. This business is thousands of years in the making and no stranger to change, from the copper piping of ancient Egypt to the aqueducts and sewer systems of ancient Rome, all the way up to our 21st-century innovations.

There’s always something to improve on, but today’s innovations are arguably on par with the marvels of the ancient world. From the early 2000s to 2025, the entire look and feel of our industry has shifted. We’re using technology today to accomplish things we’d have never thought possible only a decade or so ago. With the continuing advancements of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, what we’re doing today will probably pale in comparison to what we come up with for tomorrow. 

So, while we’re in the moment, let’s look at a few of the most exciting innovations today’s tech has given us access as plumbing experts (I’ll save my personal favorite for last).

Smart systems and fixtures to detect leaks and conserve water 

Today’s water management systems consider the need for up-to-the-minute information to ensure operational efficiency. Smart meters track water usage in real time, and cloud connectivity allows building owners, facility managers and other stakeholders to access information remotely. Leak detection systems are a boon to commercial buildings especially, given that their plumbing systems tend to be the most enormous and complicated. 

Beyond the immediate benefits offered by these features (in terms of energy and water savings), we can’t neglect to point out one of the biggest “pain in the bottom line” realities they help mitigate: costly service calls. When technology allows contractors to access information before they even get in their vehicles, less time gets spent on-site diagnosing the problem, which means quicker time to resolution and less disruption or downtime for the building and businesses it supports. 

In this, technology is fast allowing early adopters to realize something that hasn’t been possible before: lowering time spent conducting maintenance work without reducing either its thoroughness or quality. 

On top of smart features, today’s buildings have access to smart fixtures. We’re all familiar with sensor-based faucets. Chances are high that you’ve encountered a faucet where all you need to do is put your hands under the spout for water to turn on. These fixtures help control water flow in high-traffic areas, ensuring water is only used when it’s absolutely needed. 

The increasing popularity of tankless water heaters 

Yes, it’s true that the push toward green initiatives will vary depending on where you operate. What isn’t ever going to change is the constant push for more efficient systems that reduce risk, extend equipment and system life, and lower water and energy costs. Often, by pursuing the latter, the former tags along as a plus one. 

Tankless water heaters aren’t necessarily an innovation. They’ve been around for a while, but their evolution has spiked in recent years. Restaurants these days are turning away from traditional water heaters in favor of tankless systems because, beyond the energy efficiency they offer by only heating water on demand, their lack of enormous, 200-gallon storage tanks are less likely to cause significant leaks or flooding in the event of an issue. 

Further, tankless units are less prone to major water heater failures, meaning reliable hot water and better peace of mind. 

Greywater and sovent systems that transform our relationship with waste 

Sovent systems (engineered, single-stack sanitary drainage, waste and venting systems) are space- and money-saving solutions that remove solid waste and water from plumbing fittings efficiently and effectively while preserving trap seals. They require less piping and connections, don’t require extra vents (great when considering building upgrades and modifications) and require less labor to install given the greatly reduced total number of pipe, fittings, joints and more needed to connect them. 

Greywater systems are becoming increasingly familiar in areas such as California and Nevada, where droughts are commonplace. They recycle used water from sinks, showers and laundry facilities, reducing strain on freshwater resources. Look at Las Vegas, an inarguable leader in the adoption and effective use of greywater recycling. 

In fact, southern Nevada is one of the few places on Earth where all indoor water, community-wide, is recycled. This isn’t only a boon to the local environment in terms of water conservation and sustainability efforts, either. By reusing water for irrigation and landscaping (in public parks, golf courses and more), greywater systems can significantly reduce water utility bills for customers.

Rainwater harvesting for nonpotable use, antimicrobial pipe, emergency and backup networks, the leveraging of BIM digital planning to ensure to-the-millimeter fit and seamless installation, Wi-Fi faucets, automated shutoffs, solar water heating — the list could become truly exhaustive, and it’s only the beginning. 

Sewer pipelining reduces disruption and cost, increases efficiency 

What I want to end this piece on, though, is what I am most excited about as a sales representative specializing in plumbing: sewer pipe relining.

This is, hands down, one of the most significant advancements in the plumbing industry today. Out of the gate, pipe relining saves time and money, two of the most important considerations facing any project today, no matter its size. 

Traditional sewer pipe replacement requires digging up the entire line. Relining allows us to focus only on access points at either side of a damaged section. Less disruption, less downtime and certainly less time and equipment required. 

With the relining process, old sewer pipe is relined with a resin-like epoxy or polyurethane. The choice of materials can improve the functionality of the system, from ensuring piping is suitable for wastewater with various pH levels (a benefit of using PVC) to creating a seamless pipe that will withstand both high pressure and high temperatures (the power of epoxy resin). 

As I mentioned earlier, solving for efficiencies often has the benefit of being eco-friendly as a plus one. Sewer pipelining is absolutely one of these situations. Traditional repair methods cause a lot of soil disruption during excavation, contributing to soil erosion, the choking of natural waterways, and worse. Traditional repair also involves removing the old pipe and taking it to a landfill if it can’t be recycled. 

Pipelining repairs the pipe that is already there. Permanently. The piping is better, more durable and will last longer than before, plus the pipelining process takes a not insignificant amount of waste off the table. Pipe liners and epoxy-like coatings are also not directly responsible for carbon emissions, and the process of pipelining requires little to no heavy equipment, reducing indirect emissions as well. 

Pipelining can increase efficiency, reduce harm on the environment and cost less than traditional pipe replacement. I know this because I’ve made it happen for my customers. One of the most exciting jobs I’ve got coming up involves lining 165 feet of pipe for a high-end shopping mall. Traditional excavation and replacement would cost more than half a million dollars, but pipelining will reduce that amount exponentially. It is a game-changer for clients everywhere. 

Naturally, the biggest conflict for contractors as we promote these innovations across the industry is the fact that upgrading to smarter systems can require a not insignificant up-front cost. To that, I say it’s up to us to continue pointing out the incredible return on investment with every one of these improvements. 

Savings down the line is the most obvious. Regulations are coming. What’s required in states like Washington and California are not going to stay there. Customers will need to meet increasing demands in benchmarking and conservation efforts. Many of the measures here will help maintain regulatory compliance coming down the pipeline (pun intended), and a lot of them can be offset through incentives, grants and tax credits. 

Plumbing is at the heart of maintaining and improving a sustainable, hygienic and technologically advanced world. I wonder how these things will be discussed in history books 500 to 1,000 years into the future. Don’t you?

Kyle Stacy has been working in plumbing since 2008, after his stepfather, a pipefitter, inspired him to enter the trade. A licensed journeyman, Stacy also spent time teaching plumbing in a school program, where he developed a passion for setting others up with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed. Today, he works with Harris as a project sales representative, finding joy in the fact that in this business, no two days are the same, and there’s another interesting challenge around every corner.