Civilization is predicated on Plumbing. This pretty much sums up the civilized and urbanised human race, as I see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bje_8Y7KUfM

Without plumbing there is no civilization only barbarism as the Romans found out when they failed 3 times to conquer the Caledonians and Picts in Northern Britain from the 1st to the 3rd Century AD.