This section of wooden pipe was used to carry water to people's houses. It is made of elm and was buried in the ground. Elm was the most suitable wood to use because of the length and straight growth of the tree and its resistance to water. The Romans made pipes of hollowed elm trunks fitted end-to-end with taper-and-socket joints bound with iron. Other pipes were made of lead and earthenware and in 1746 iron pipes were introduced to improve the water supply. In 1800, water was only supplied for two or three hours on three days per week in order to refill the household's tank.