Early plumbing involved the use of clay, cast-iron, and copper pipes. There were other materials, including wood and bored stone, but clay, cast-iron, and copper were the standbys. Historically more effort was put into ways to bring water into town and into buildings than was spent on channeling waste water away. If a carefully engineered aqueduct system was used to bring water from the hills, a smelly open trench might still be relied upon to carry waste water down to the river.
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Now we require plumbing, both to bring good water in and carry waste water away, and hopefully not down to the river. When your local plumbing contractor comes out to discuss your next plumbing project with you, he or she will still be able to choose from clay, cast-iron, and copper as materials. But the modern plumbing technician will have knowledge of may modern materials as well, and will help you to make the best choice for your installation.