Ngesikhathi mina nomkami siqala ukuvakashela indlu yepulazi ngawo-1960, sabona ubuhle, hhayi ikhemikhali. Sabona imishayo eveziwe kanye nesithando somlilo samatshe. Uhlu lwayibiza ngokuthi “ikhaya laphakade.” Engakushongo ukuthi yayisekupheleni komgwaqo wesifunda ohanjwa kakhulu, phezu kwe-aquifer engajulile eyayichithe iminyaka engama-50 imunca amanzi ageleza enkathini yayo ngokuthula.

Salithenga iphupho. Iphupho elibi lafika ngochungechunge lwezinkomba esasingakulungele ukuzifunda.

Inkomba yokuqala kwakuyizibazi. Hhayi i-patina ekhangayo etsheni, kodwa uqweqwe olukhanyayo, oluluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka olunamathela kuwo wonke umsele wesinki yokugezela kanye nekhanda leshawa. Bekukuhle, ngendlela enobuthi kanye namaminerali. Sakuhlanza. Kwabuya ngemva kwamasonto.

Inkomba yesibili kwakuwukunambitha. Amanzi avela empompini yasekhishini ayenokulunywa okucacile nokubukhali kwensimbi—njengokukhotha ibhethri. Sacabanga ukuthi “amapayipi amadala” sabe sesithenga isihlungi esilula sokufaka amanzi. Ukunambitheka kwasala, manje sekunokukhanya kwepulasitiki okuncane okuvela ku-carbon eshibhile.

Inkomba yesithathu kwakuwukuziphatha kwamanzi ngokwawo. Ingilazi egcwele empompini, ngemva kokuhlala ihora lonke, yayizokhipha ukukhanya okukhanyayo kothingo ebusweni, njengamafutha echibini. Ikhofi lethu lasekuseni lalinambitheka libaba futhi lincane, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ubhontshisi ungakanani.

Sasingabantu basedolobheni. Sasicabanga ukuthi “amanzi amabi” asho i-chlorine. Sasidlala imidlalo ye-chess ngokumelene ne-geology kanye nomlando wezimboni.

Ukuxilongwa: Akuyona Inkinga Eyodwa, Kodwa Inkinga Enkulu

Ukuhlolwa kwamanzi okuphelele ($350, ukwehla kwebhakede uma kuqhathaniswa nalokho okwalandela) kwabuyisa umbiko ofundeka njengethebula lezinkinga eliphindaphindwayo:

1. Amanzi Ane-asidi (i-pH engu-5.8): Lena kwakuyimbangela eyinhloko. Amanzi ayegqwala, encibilikisa amapayipi ethusi endlini yonke. Lawo mabala amahle aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka? Lokho kwakuyi-copper oxide—amapayipi ethu, empeleni, engilazini.
2. Ithusi Eliphakeme Nomthofu: Umphumela oqondile we-#1. Amanzi ane-asidi ayekhipha lezi zinsimbi ezisindayo emapayipini futhi cishe nasezinhlanganisweni ezindala ze-solder. Lokho kwakuyindlela yokunambitheka kwensimbi.
3. Ama-Volatile Organic Compounds (ama-VOC): Amanani amancane ezinyibilikisi zezimboni. Ukungcola okungenzeka kube yifa elivela emisebenzini yakudala yezolimo noma yezimboni ezincane ekukhuphukeni. Ukukhanya emanzini.
4. Amabhaktheriya Asezingeni Eliphansi: Avame kakhulu emithonjeni emidala enezimbobo ezithintekile.

Isihlungi se-pitcher sasiyi-Band-Aid enxebeni lenhlamvu. Sasiklanyelwe ukwenza amanzi asedolobheni anambitheke kangcono, hhayi ukuzivikela ekuhlaselweni ngamakhemikhali amaningi avela ngaphakathi kwamapayipi ethu.

Ukunikezwa Kwemithi: Ukwakha “Isibhedlela” Sokwelapha Amanzi

Sasingadingi umshini wokuhlanza amanzi. Sasidinga uhlelo lokuhlanza amanzi. Umakhi wethu, isazi sezinto eziphilayo esinobuntu obuhle njengodokotela ohlinzayo empini, wabeka uhlelo. Kwakungeyona iyunithi eyodwa ngaphansi kwesinki; kwakuyisivikelo esihleliwe esifakwe lapho amanzi engena khona ekhaya lethu.

Isigaba 1: I-Neutralizer. Ithangi elikhulu eligcwele i-calcite media (i-marble emhlophe echotshoziwe). Njengoba amanzi ane-asidi edlula, ancibilikisa i-calcite, ephakamisa i-pH ibe sezingeni elingathathi hlangothi, elingaboli. Lokhu kwamisa ukuhlaselwa kwamapayipi ethu—isisombululo esibaluleke kakhulu sokuvikela indlu uqobo.

Isigaba 2: Isihlungi Sensimbi Esikhipha Uketshezi kanye Ne-VOC. Ithangi lesibili elinesihlungi esikhethekile sokufaka umoya. Lafaka umoya emanzini, okwenza insimbi encibilikisiwe kanye nama-VOC aqine abe yizinhlayiya ezazingabanjwa embhedeni wemidiya bese zikhishwa.

Isigaba 3: I-Sentinel & Protector (Isihlungi Sekhabhoni Sendlu Yonke): Ithangi elikhulu lekhabhoni esebenzayo yezinga eliphezulu ukususa noma yikuphi ukunambitheka, iphunga, kanye namakhemikhali asele, livikela wonke amapayipi, ishawa, kanye nezinto zikagesi endlini.

Isigaba 4: Isiqinisekiso Sokugcina (I-RO Yokusebenzisa): Esinkini sasekhishini kuphela, sifake uhlelo olujwayelekile lwe-reverse osmosis. Njengoba izinhlelo zendlu yonke ziphakamisa izinto kanzima, umsebenzi wale-RO wawulula: ukunikeza amanzi ahlanzekile, aqinisekisiwe okuphuza nokupheka. Izihlungi zawo zazizohlala iminyaka, hhayi izinyanga.

Ushintsho: Isisekelo Esisha Sokuphila

Ushintsho aluzange lwenzeke ngokushesha. Kwathatha amasonto ukuthi amanzi asanda kuncishiswa aphinde asebenzise kancane kancane isikali sokuvikela ngaphakathi kwamapayipi ethu. Kodwa ngolunye usuku ekuseni, cishe inyanga eyodwa kamuva, ngenza imbiza yekhofi.

Umehluko wawungabonakali. Wawuveza into ebabayo. Umunyu wawusuphelile. Ukunambitheka kwebhontshisi—ushokoledi, amantongomane, izithelo—kwaqhuma phambili, kungasalwi nokulunywa ngamanzi ngensimbi. Yileso sikhathi engaqonda ngaso: sasingazange silungise amanzi nje kuphela. Sasivule amandla akho konke okwakuthinta amanzi—ukudla kwethu, iziphuzo zethu, ishawa lethu, izinwele zethu.

Amabala aluhlaza awazange abuye. Ukukhanya kothingo kwanyamalala. “Ikhaya laphakade” lalingasancibiliki kancane kancane kusukela ngaphakathi kuya ngaphandle.

Isifundo Kunoma yimuphi Umthengi Wendlu Noma Umnikazi

Indaba yethu ayimayelana nokukwesabisa ngamanzi angcolile kakhulu. Imayelana nokushintsha umbono wakho ngamanzi usuke endaweni yosizo uye endaweni eyisisekelo yempilo yekhaya lakho.

1. Hlola Okokuqala, Hhayi Okokugcina: Ukuhlolwa kwamanzi kufanele kube okujwayelekile njengokuhlolwa kwekhaya, ikakhulukazi emithonjeni noma emakhaya amadala. Ungaqageli.Yazi.
2. Hlunga Amabala: Okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka = amanzi agqwalisayo. Okubomvu-nsundu = insimbi. Isikali esimhlophe = ubulukhuni. Lezi yizinkinga ezibizayo ukuzilungisa kamuva; ziyizici ezibalulekile zedatha ngesikhathi sokuthenga.
3. Cabanga “ngeSistimu,” Hhayi “ngeSisetshenziswa”: Izihlungi ezingaphansi kwesinki ezihlukanisiwe zelapha izimpawu. Ukuze welaphe lesi sifo sendlu yonke, uvame ukudinga ikhambi elilandelanayo, lendlu yonke.
4. Izindleko Zangempela Ukungenzi Nto: Imali engu-$8,000 esiyitshalile ohlelweni lwethu lokwelapha amanzi yayinkulu. Kodwa ayilutho uma iqhathaniswa nezindleko zokuvuselela indlu yonke ngemva kokuba amanzi ane-asidi eyibhidlizile, noma imiphumela yesikhathi eside yezempilo yokuphuza izinsimbi ezisindayo.