Toilets had been in use for centuries by the end of the 16th century, often with a sewage system. However, these toilets were, in reality, mere pits/holes, with no moving mechanisms in the waste removal process. That changed in 1596 when writer John Harington installed a flush toilet in his house in Kelston, England. The design used a special valve to let water out of a sudden tank and into the bowl, flushing away the waste.
