Which city has the world’s most advanced water supply and drainage system?

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This post was last edited by Hasty Passerby on 2018-12-20 at 16:22. Which city has the most advanced water supply and drainage system in the world? 1. A successful project must by no means be a showpiece project, nor something created solely to allow certain individuals and parties to highlight their own achievements. Facing floods that occur once in ten thousand years, then once in a thousand years, and then once in a hundred years… For the Three Gorges Project, it took 14 years to build it, and the standard set for resisting such floods wasn’t the extremely high figure of once in ten thousand years, but merely “once every five to ten years.” What kind of feeling should I have? Perhaps there’s only one thought: In my 20-year life, how is it possible to encounter so many disasters that occur once in a hundred or a thousand years? 2. A successful sewerage project is not just about the sewers themselves; as mentioned in the text, it involves things such as \"rainfall information systems for predicting and analyzing various rainfall data, as well as for coordinating drainage efforts in different areas.\" It also involves intervention from the stage of sewage discharge, and even the sewerage authorities have websites and classrooms dedicated to providing information on healthy cooking. This shows us that the success of a project depends more on systematic coordination and continuous effort beyond the project itself. Only then can we understand what is meant by a \"drainage system in the outskirts of the capital area,\" rather than just a \"drainage project in that area.\" It’s a pity that there are so many projects in China these days, but so few systems! 3. A successful project lies not only in the technical challenges it overcomes or in its ability to solve problems successfully, but also in the principles behind it: treating oil-stained newspapers as combustible waste, allowing them to flow into public waters through the water purification pipes of the sewer system – such concepts of environmental protection and conservation! With their advanced civil engineering techniques, of which they can be proud on the world stage, the Japanese built a stormwater drainage system in Saitama Prefecture that resembles a scene from a fantasy movie – the Metropolitan Outer Ring Drainage System. This system is designed to prevent floods that may occur during typhoon seasons due to heavy rainfall, thus protecting the Tokyo area from being hit by water disasters. The peripheral drainage system for the capital area, construction of which began in 1992, consists of a series of concrete shafts. Each of these concrete shafts is 65 meters high (about 22 floors) and 32 meters wide, located 50 meters underground, and they are connected by tunnels that total 6.3 kilometers in length. In addition, there is a giant surge tank: 25.4 meters high (about eight floors), 177 meters long, and 78 meters wide, with 59 concrete pillars inside. Its total water storage capacity is 670,000 cubic meters, and it can achieve a maximum drainage rate of 200 cubic meters per second thanks to turbines with a power output of 14,000 horsepower. Upon completion in 2006, it was considered the most advanced sewerage system in the world, with a drainage standard designed to handle events that occur once every five to ten years. The system is made up of a series of concrete shafts, with underground channels reaching a depth of 60 meters. There are two ways for rainwater in Tokyo to be drained: Rainwater in areas near rivers generally flows into rainwater collection and discharge pipes through the drainage systems of various buildings as well as roadside drains, and eventually makes its way to the sea via major tributaries ； The rainwater from the remaining areas enters the public drainage pipes through the drainage systems of each building, and then flows into public water bodies via the clean-water discharge pipes of the sewer system. To ensure the smooth flow of drainage, the Tokyo Sewerage Bureau gets involved from the stage of sewage discharge. They stipulate that certain types of water-insoluble waste from bathrooms cannot be discharged directly into the sewer system; instead, they must first be processed through a waste sorting system. Furthermore, oil residues from cooking are also not allowed to be discharged directly into the sewer system, as they not only cause unpleasant odors at nearby sewer inlets but also corrode the drainage pipes. The solution advocated by the Tokyo Sewerage Bureau is to wipe away the oil stains with newspapers, and then dispose of those stained newspapers as combustible waste. A simpler way is to use less oil when cooking. The Sewerage Bureau even has dedicated web pages and classrooms to introduce healthy cooking, offering recipes that are low in oil and healthy. Tokyo also has a rainfall information system to predict and compile various rainfall data, as well as to manage drainage in different areas. Using the statistical results, special measures can be taken in areas prone to flooding. For example, rainwater regulation tanks have been installed in the Minami-Sa area of Koto Ward in Tokyo, with the largest of these tanks being able to store up to 25,000 cubic meters of rainwater at a time. Let’s take a look at Fushougou in Ganzhou, China: During the rainy season each year, many cities in the country offer the chance to see the sea. However, this kind of situation will not occur in the old district of Ganzhou City. There is the Fushou Gou, which was built during the Song Dynasty. ““Dreams” remains this year as well. Since the onset of summer, heavy rains have frequently struck various parts of China, leaving areas submerged in water. Cities such as Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanchang, Beijing, Changsha, and Chengdu have all experienced waterlogging. Various jokes arose: going to Wuhan University to \"swim\", going to West Lake to \"see the sea\", going to the streets of Nanchang to \"fish\", and going to Beijing’s subways to \"watch waterfalls\"... Many cities also withstood the test, such as Ganzhou in Jiangxi. Despite several heavy downpours, with precipitation amounts reaching nearly 100 millimeters at their peak, the old area of Ganzhou did not experience significant waterlogging, and people’s lives continued as usual, in an orderly manner. What protects this culturally significant city with a history of over 2,000 years? Most people from Ganzhou will proudly say: It’s because we have Fushou Gou. 　　Fushougou is an underground drainage system created by ancient people nearly a thousand years ago, a \"living cultural relic\" that is still in use to this day. In line with this, the overall design of Ganzhou Ancient City embodies foresight and ingenuity in flood control and drainage. Entering Ganzhou city and exploring Fushou Gully, we see the great efforts made by ancient people to ensure the healthy functioning of the city’s water systems and to promote longevity – an intangible legacy left by our ancestors. A gully. Ganzhou is located in the subtropical zone, where rainfall is heavy. According to historical records, the highest daily rainfall was recorded on May 16, 1961, at 200.8 millimeters. If the city lacks a proper drainage and flood control system, flooding will inevitably occur after heavy rains. 　　The construction of sewers has a long history in Ganzhou, but a relatively complete drainage system—the Fushou Gou—was established around the middle of the Song Dynasty. According to the county annals from the Tongzhi era, “Fushou Er Gou were dug by ancient people to drain the water within the city; it is unknown in which dynasty they were created, though some say they were built by the governor Liu Yi.” During the Xining era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Yi served as the governor of Ganzhou. Based on the city’s size, street layout, and topographical features, he constructed the Fugou and Shougou channels; “Shougou collected water from the north side of the city, while water from the southeast flowed out through Fugou.” These channels were arranged in a complex yet orderly pattern, allowing water to be directed either into the Gongjiang or Zhangjiang rivers. It got its name because the directions of the two gullies resemble the ancient seal script characters for “fortune” and “longevity”. 　　Fushougou was also abandoned at one point in history. In the eighth year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty, restoration work was carried out using a model that combined private efforts with government support; there were a total of 6 water outlets. In 1953, sewers were constructed in Ganzhou, and the original Fushou Ditch on Houde Road was repaired; it was 767.6 meters long. The old town area currently has 9 drainage outlets, of which 6 from the Fushou Gou system are still in use. To this day, the Fushougou canal, with a total length of about 12.6 kilometers, remains the main drainage channel in the old city area. Thanks to Fushou Gou, the old urban area of Ganzhou experiences rain almost every year without flooding, which is rare among many ancient cities in the country. Design brilliance: The value of Fushou Gou lies not only in its practicality but also in the ingenious thinking demonstrated by the ancients. 　　First, make use of external forces and guide things according to the situation. A key feature of Fushou Gou is that it makes use of the natural variations in elevation to allow rainwater and sewage from the city to flow naturally into rivers and ponds, thus eliminating the need for pumps as used today. The second major feature is its 12 water windows (i.e., drainage outlets). The gates of the water window open and close automatically by water power, which is quite ingenious. The original gates were all wooden gates, with their hinges located on the upstream side. When the river water level is lower than that of the sewer, the water pressure in the sewer is used to open the gates; when the river water level is higher than that of the sewer, the water pressure in the river is used to close the gates to prevent backflow of river water. 　　Secondly, consider the overall situation to maximize benefits. Fushou Gou is connected to the three large ponds in the city as well as dozens of smaller ponds, offering comprehensive benefits such as water regulation, fish farming, irrigation for gardens, and treatment and reuse of wastewater, thus forming an ecological and environmental protection cycle. A city: For Fushou Pond to be effective, it relies on a foundation – Ganzhou City has retained its ancient city walls and water systems. 　　According to folklore, Ganzhou is a turtle-shaped \"floating city\"; no matter how high the river water rises, the city of Ganzhou can float along with it. The existing ancient city of Ganzhou was indeed built as the \"Shangshui Turtle City\" by the feng shui expert Yang Yunsong during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period; its shape resembles that of a turtle, which helps to reduce the impact of floods on the city walls. 　　Furthermore, when the city was built, the then-popular earthen walls were abandoned in favor of walls constructed from bricks and stones, with iron being used to strengthen the foundations. Records in the local chronicles from the Daoguang era state: \"The governor of the prefecture, Kong Zonghan, since the tributary river flowed directly toward the northeast corner, the city was frequently flooded and breached; stones were laid to protect it, iron was used to reinforce its foundations, and an observation platform was built on top to oversee the surrounding area.\" ”The method is as follows: a foundation is built using stone slabs, and then molten iron is poured into the gaps between the stones; once it solidifies, a strong, unified structure is formed. Smart Click: The overall planning of Ganzhou’s ancient city reflects the clever strategies employed by ancient people to prevent problems and avoid floods at every stage. Away from such an overall layout, no matter how significant Fu Shou Gou’s role might be, it would likely be difficult to maintain the current situation. 　　Building a \"floating city\" that adhered to mechanical principles, and using molten iron to construct brick and stone city walls, was an innovation in the history of flood protection in ancient cities. The people of Ganzhou also have a sense of prevention; over the ages they have continuously raised and strengthened the city walls to guard against floods. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the city walls were only 24 feet high, but by the end of the dynasty their height increased to 33 feet. 　　Apart from Ganzhou, there are more than a dozen other ancient cities in China such as Shouzhou, Wen’an, Chaozhou, Jingzhou, and Taizhou that still serve flood control purposes to this day; their architectural approaches offer great inspiration to people today. “The past and present of urban water systems: The experience of ancient cities – The most important lesson learned by ancient Chinese cities in preventing waterlogging is to establish a well-developed urban water system. It consists of surrounding moats as well as rivers, canals, and lakes inside and outside the city, serving multiple functions and being regarded as the \"blood vessels of the city\". 　　Urban water systems serve roughly 10 main functions: supplying water; facilitating transportation; irrigating fields and gardens as well as supporting aquaculture; **protection; draining and managing floodwaters; regulating flood levels; preventing fires; shielding against storms; creating gardens and green spaces as well as providing recreational opportunities on water; and improving the urban environment. 　　Among these ten functions, drainage, flood discharge, and flood regulation are crucial for preventing waterlogging. Taking the Forbidden City as an example, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tongzi River and the Nei Jinshui River in the Forbidden City together were 6 kilometers long; there were 8.3 kilometers of waterways per square kilometer of land, making it comparable to the water-rich city of Suzhou. The storage capacity of the Tongzi River is 1.1856 million cubic meters. Even in the event of extreme heavy rainfall within the city, with daily precipitation reaching 225 millimeters, and if floods occur outside the city and prevent water from flowing out, all the rainwater inside the Forbidden City will flow into the Tongzi River, but this will only cause its water level to rise by 0.97 meters. Therefore, nearly 600 years have passed since the completion of the Forbidden City in the 18th year of the Yongle era, and there is no record of any floods causing disasters within the city. 　　However, water systems are not a one-time solution once constructed; it is essential to pay attention to their management and maintenance so that they can fulfill their intended functions. 　　Looking at the management of drainage systems in the capitals throughout history, the systems in the Eastern Capital of the Song Dynasty and the Dadu City of the Yuan Dynasty were relatively good, while those in Chang’an City of the Tang Dynasty were inadequate. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Beijing’s water systems were well managed, with sound systems in place and clear rewards and punishments. The Forbidden City had its channels dredged every spring, a practice that became established during the Ming Dynasty and continued in the Qing Dynasty; this ensured the smooth functioning of the city’s drainage system, enabling it to effectively handle water drainage and flood control. 　　Other famous cities, such as Guangzhou, Shaoxing, Suzhou, Jinan, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Songjiang, Jiading, etc., have all had good management of their drainage systems throughout history. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Suzhou dredged its urban waterways a total of 11 times. From the 16th year of the Jiading era in the Song dynasty to the 15th year of the Shunzhi era in the Qing dynasty, Suzhou was free from floods for over 400 years, which is largely due to effective river management.