Amanzi AseLondon—Isici Esisha

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eBrithani

ILONDON, inhloko-dolobha yaseNgilandi, isinesinye sezimiso zamanzi esiphambili emhlabeni. Saphela eminyakeni emibili ngaphambi kwesikhathi esasimisiwe ngezindleko ezingaba amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-1448. Ubuchwepheshe obazuzwa ekwakhiweni kwaso kakade sebuthengiselwa amanye amazwe ngemali ethile.

Kungani kwakudingeka umkhankaso obiza kangaka, futhi uye wafezani?

Esisha Esikhundleni Sesidala

Ipayipi lamanzi eliyinhloko elidala kunawo wonke eLondon lenziwa ngo-1838. Eminyakeni engu-40 kamuva amanzi ayesakhiwa ngamabhakede kompompi bomphakathi abasemgwaqweni ezindaweni ezimpofu kuleli dolobha. Omunye umlobi uyalandisa: “Ukuvulwa kukampompi ngokhiye ekuseni indoda ethile kwakuyisenzakalo esibalulekile, . . . ngoba lapho isikhulu esiphethe ukhiye sesihambile kwakungatholakali neconsi lamanzi kuze kube ngakusasa ekuseni.”

Onjiniyela bangesikhathi sikaVictoria benza umsebenzi wobungcweti lapho lesi simiso samanzi besinabisela emakhaya, befaka amapayipi amanzi ensimbi benza nemisele yezakhiwo ezindaweni ezijule ngokuhlukene ngaphansi kwemigwaqo. Nokho, kusukela lapho, ukwanda kwenani, isisindo, nokuhamba kwezimoto, kanye nomfutho omkhulu wokuthumela amanzi odingekayo ukuze afinyelele emabangeni amade—ngezinye izikhathi emakhilomitheni angu-30—kuye kwabangela ukuqhuma kwamapayipi. Lokhu kubangela isiminyaminya sezimoto lapho kudingeka kuvalwe imigwaqo ngenxa yokulungiswa kwamapayipi amanzi. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amaphesenti angu-25 amanzi adonswa ezindaweni zokugcina amanzi eNgilandi ayalahleka ngenxa yokulimala kwamapayipi.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, isidingo samanzi eLondon siye sanda kuleminyaka engu-150 edlule—kusukela emalitheni ayizigidi ezingu-330 kuya emalitheni angaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili usuku ngalunye. Imishini yokuwasha, imishini yokugeza izitsha, ukugeza izimoto, nokunisela izingadi phakathi nezikhathi zasehlobo ezingenamvula konke kuye kwaba nengxenye ekwandiseni isidingo samanzi. Isidingo sokuthuthukisa isimiso sokuthutha amanzi aya edolobheni saba esiphuthumayo. Kodwa kwakungenziwani?

Ukucabangela Isidingo Esikhulu

Kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba kushintshwe amapayipi amadala kufakwe aqinile ngaphansi kwemigwaqo efanayo. Izindleko zazinkulu futhi nabantu baseLondon babengafuni ukuphazamiseka. Ngakho, eminyakeni eyishumi edlule kwacatshangwa ngomkhankaso i-Thames Water Ring Main. Wawuzowandisa kakhulu amanzi aseLondon. Lomkhankaso uyipayipi, noma umhubhe, elingamakhilomitha angu-80, elinobubanzi obungamamitha amabili nengxenye elimbelwe ngamamitha angu-40 ngaphansi kwaleli dolobha futhi elikwazi ukuthwala amanzi angamalitha angaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane ngosuku. Ipayipi eliyindilinga kanjalo laliyokwenza ukuba amanzi ageleze nhlangothi zombili, kuvumele ukuba kuvalwe noma iyiphi ingxenye lapho ilungiswa nganoma isiphi isikhathi. Amanzi ayezongena kulomhubhe esuka ezikhungweni zokuwahlanza abese ethunyelwa ngokuqondile emapayipini endawo akhona, noma ezindaweni zokuwagcina isikhashana.

Kungani kwakudingeka ukuba lomhubhe omude kunayo yonke eBrithani ujule kangaka? Ngoba ngaphansi kweLondon kunezimiso zezitimela ezingu-12 kanye nezinto eziningi ezivamile ezisetshenziswa umphakathi, futhi ngokusobala lomhubhe kwakudingeka ungaziphazamisi. Lapho onjiniyela ngokungazelele bengqubuzana nesisekelo esijulile sesakhiwo esithile, esasingabonakalanga ekuhloleni kokuqala, umsebenzi walibaziseka izinyanga ezingaphezu kweziyishumi.

Umsebenzi wokwakha wawuhlelwe ngezigaba. Kwakungalindeleke zinkinga ezinkulu ekumbeni ubumba lwaseLondon, kodwa kwadingeka ukuba umsebenzi wokubhola umhubhe uyekwe isikhathi esingaphezu konyaka endaweni owaqalwa kuyo, eningizimu yeThames eTooting Bec. Lapho abantu ababemba lomhubhe bangena ongqimbeni lwesihlabathi esasinamanzi anomfutho ophakeme, sagcina sisibekele lomshini obholayo. Ukuze kuxazululwe lenkinga, abakhi balomhubhe banquma ukwenza lenhlabathi ibe yiqhwa ngokufaka emigodini ebholiwe amanzi anosawoti angu-28° C. ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa. Ngokumba omunye umgodi eduzane, bakwazi ukumba eqhweni ukuze bakhiphe lomshini owawumbozekile base beqhubeka nokubhola.

Ngenxa yalokhu okuhlangenwe nakho, onjiniyela babona isidingo sokwenza isimiso esisha sokufaka ukhonkolo ezindongeni zalomhubhe. Kwaba sobala futhi ukuthi kwakudingeka umshini wokubhola ohlukile ukuze kubholwe lenhlabathi eshintshashintshayo. Ikhambi kwaba umshini wokubhola waseCanada omelana nomfutho. Kwathengwa emithathu, futhi ngenxa yalokho, isivinini sokubhola saphindeka kabili saba ikhilomitha nengxenye ngenyanga.

Ukwakha Nge-computer

Kwahlolwa izwe nge-theodolite evamile kumiwe phezu kwezindlu ukuze kutholakale izilinganiso zezindawo okufanele kumbiwe kuzo, futhi imiphumela yahlolwa ngemishini. Lendlela yayanele ekuqaleni, kodwa lapho kuqala ukubholwa komhubhe, kwakungaqinisekwa kanjani ngokuqondana ngaphansi komhlaba?

Lapha, kwasetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe be-Global Positioning System (GPS). Lomshini wokuhlola izwe unesiphuphutheki esikumkhumbi-mkhathi we-GPS ojikeleza umhlaba. Lomshini ungaqhathanisa izimpawu zamaza eziphuphutheki ezihlukahlukene ezijikelezayo. Lapho lezi zilinganiso sezenziwe nge-computer, kwaphawulwa ukuma kwayo yonke imigodi engu-21 nemigodi ebholiwe engu-580 ngasemzileni kusetshenziswa amabalazwe e-Ordnance Survey. Behlome ngalokhu kwaziswa, abantu ababemba lomhubhe babenesiqondiso esinembile.

Ukulawula Nge-computer

Ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zamakhasimende ayizigidi eziyisithupha akuwona umsebenzi olula. Isidingo asishintshi ngezikhathi ezithile kuphela kodwa singashintsha usuku nosuku. Lokhu kudinga ukubeka iso ubusuku nemini ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuthi kunomfutho wamanzi nezinga lawo elifanele ngazo zonke izikhathi. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu kulawulwa okubalulekile? Ngesimiso sokulawula se-computer esibiza amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-19.

Isifutho somgodi ngamunye silawulwa i-computer yaso, futhi izindleko zigcinwa ziphansi ngokusebenzisa ugesi ongabizi, ngesikhathi ungasetshenziswa kakhulu. Ama-computer ayinhloko eHampton, entshonalanga yeLondon, alawula yonke lenxanxathela. Lama-computer athola ukwaziswa ezintanjeni ze-fiber-optic ezifakwe ezindongeni zomhubhe abese ekudlulisela esimisweni esilawulayo samathelevishini axhunyiwe.

Izinga lamanzi lihlolwa ngezikhawu nsuku zonke, masonto onke, nanyanga zonke. “Kunezinto ezingu-120 okuyisibopho ukuba zihlolwe izikhathi ezingu-60 lapho kuhlolwa izinga lamanzi. Zihlanganisa ukuhlaziywa kwezinto ezingama-nitrate, izakhi zamakhemikhali ezithile, imithi yokubulala izilokazane nezinye izinto ezincibilikisa amakhemikhali,” kuchaza iphephandaba i-Times. Lezi zilinganiso sezenziwa njalo bese zidluliselwa endlunkulu yama-computer ukuze zihlolwe futhi kuthathwe isinyathelo uma kudingekile. Abahloli bamanzi nabo bahlola izinga lamanzi ngezikhathi ezithile.

Ukucabangela Isikhathi Esizayo

Lesi simangaliso sobuchwepheshe banamuhla kakade sesiletha amanzi aphuzwayo angamalitha ayizigidi ezingu-583 nsuku zonke kubantu abaseGreater London engamakhilomitha-skwele angaphezu kuka-1500. Lapho sesisebenza ngokugcwele, siyohlangabezana namaphesenti angu-50 ezidingo zamanje, futhi silekelele eminye imithombo.

Ngisho nalokhu kuyoba kungenele. Ngakho-ke sekwenziwa amalungiselelo okwandisa leli payipi ngamakhilomitha angu-60 ekuqaleni kwekhulu leminyaka elizayo. Ngempela, ikhambi lobuhlakani enkingeni enzima!

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Ingaphansi leLondon, libonisa ipayipi lamanzi ngaphansi kwezinye izinto ezisemhubheni

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Ipayipi lamanzi elisha nemigodi

UMfula IThames

Imihubhe yesitimela engaphansi komhlaba

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Based on photograph: Thames Water

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Umshini wokubhola umhubhe wamanzi

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Photograph: Thames Water

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Umsebenzi wokwakha umhubhe wamanzi

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Photograph: Thames Water