Chapter 56 A Waterworks' Whimsical Idea: When Purifying Bacteria Meet the Filtration Tank...
Nowadays, brick kilns operate almost 24 hours a day, with half the time spent firing bricks and the other half dedicated to firing ceramic tubes that carry the hopes of civilization.
Looking at the ever-growing pile of ceramic pipes on the open ground, Lin Yue suddenly realized a very real problem.
"Amu, how many buckets of water did you carry today?" Lin Yue couldn't help but ask as he watched Amu put down the two huge wooden buckets on his shoulders and slump to the ground, panting heavily.
"Sir," Amu said, wiping the sweat from his face and panting, "This is the twelfth trip today... Li Ge's is about the same... Together, we probably only have enough for the kitchen and the mud-making team..."
Lin Yue's brows furrowed tightly.
The restaurant still relies on the most primitive method of carrying water by hand. Moreover, the water source is the same murky stream that Lin Yue discovered when he first arrived. Although it has undergone natural sedimentation upstream and the water quality is much better than before, it still has a strange yellowish-brown hue and is mixed with various unidentified sediments.
Every drop of usable water must be processed through the rudimentary multi-layered filtration system they built. That system was barely adequate for a few people at first, but now it's woefully inadequate to meet the needs of so many people for living and construction.
Every day, the water-carrying team and the water purification team exhaust almost all their manpower, yet they still cannot meet the ever-increasing water demand. This has severely slowed down the progress of all other projects.
“No, this problem must be solved at its root,” Lin Yue made up his mind. A stable, safe, and convenient water supply system is even more important than sturdy houses for the long-term development of a community. He needed a water supply revolution.
So, amidst the bewildered gazes of the crowd—"We haven't fired enough bricks, we haven't finished building the walls, why are we having another meeting?"—he threw out an even more outlandish and avant-garde idea. Compared to the ongoing vigorous housing construction and bathroom revolution, this idea sounded far-fetched and impractical: he wanted to build what he called the first waterworks in Hope Town.
"What the hell? A waterworks?" Shi Quan was the first to frown. He struggled to understand the strange-sounding term, then looked at Lin Yue with suspicion. "Tap water? Water is water, it can't just come here by itself, can it? Isn't that water still dirty? Doesn't it still have to be filtered bucket by bucket? What's the use? What weird thing are you thinking about now?"
“No,” Lin Yue shook his head, a mysterious smile on his face, “The waterworks I’m talking about is a systematic and great project that can solve our water intake and purification problems once and for all.”
He flipped his already heavily marked planning slab over and quickly sketched out the blueprint in his mind on the new side with a charcoal stick.
“Look, everyone!” he pointed to the stone slab. “We’re going to build an irrigation canal upstream of the stream, taking advantage of the drop in elevation, to bring the water here.” He drew an opening high up on the stone slab.
“Then, the stream will first flow into our first pool, which I call the ‘sedimentation pool’.” He drew a huge square pool. “The function of this pool is very simple: to slow down the water flow. Larger impurities in the water, such as silt, sand, and leaves, will sink to the bottom of the pool due to gravity.”
“The water that has settled will flow through pipes into the second pool [the filtration pool], which is the core of the entire project,” Lin Yue’s tone became excited. “In this pool, we will lay a thick, multi-layered filtration system.”
As he spoke, he drew layer by layer on the cross-sectional diagram of the second pool:
"At the bottom, we will lay a layer of large, smooth pebbles to disperse the water flow and prevent blockages."
"On top, lay another layer of small pebbles and coarse sand to filter out some of the smaller suspended particles."
"Up above that is a thick layer of fine sand that has been repeatedly washed by the river. This layer can filter out most of the tiny impurities."
“The top layer, which is also the most crucial layer,” Lin Yue emphasized, “is where we will lay a thick layer of charcoal granules that we make ourselves. The charcoal has many tiny pores that we can’t see inside, which can act like a sponge to absorb the odors and pigments in the water, making the water cleaner and clearer.”
Stone Fist and Gray listened in a daze. Although they didn't understand many of the principles, the scene of Lin Yue describing the layered filtration that turned muddy water into clear water still made them feel very novel and shocked.
“But that’s not all,” Lin Yue drew a third pool, connected to the filtration pool, “Finally, the filtered water will flow into our [Purification Pool]. Here, we will carry out the last and most magical process—biological purification!”
"Biological purification?" This term is completely unfamiliar to everyone.
“That’s right!” Lin Yue’s eyes gleamed with an almost fanatical light. “I discovered that the [Tranquil Mushroom] and the [Moonlight Moss] that we brought back from the Valley of Tears seem to have a slight purifying and neutralizing effect on the ‘turbid energy’ in the water, which is the harmful energy that the system has indicated.”
"My idea is to cultivate these amazing bacteria in this purification pool in a controlled manner. Let them help us eat away the unseen but harmful things in the water. Eventually, the water flowing out of this pool will be truly drinkable, and may even have a calming and soothing effect... *The Fountain of Life.
Using mushrooms and moss to purify water? This...this is unheard of, it's beyond their comprehension.
"Kid...you...are you sure you're not talking nonsense?" Even the usually knowledgeable Stone Fist couldn't help but stammer as he asked, "Use mushrooms to purify water? If you drink that water...won't people grow mushrooms too?"
“Of course not,” Lin Yue smiled confidently. “This is science, this is biotechnology. Trust me, it’s absolutely feasible.”
Although he himself wasn't 100% sure, this was purely a bold conjecture and experiment based on the system prompts, but since he had already made the boast, he had to stick to it!
In order to build this magnificent project, Lin Yue immediately issued a technical recruitment order to the entire town.
"Gentlemen, we are now facing a huge challenge. We need to dig irrigation canals and build reservoirs. I need people who are experienced in water flow, terrain, and earthwork. Who has lived by a river or lake before? Who has fished? Who has built dams? Or whose ancestors were bricklayers? Anyone with even a little relevant experience, please step forward. This project needs your wisdom."
As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of responses erupted from the crowd.
Several men who used to live off the river in their hometown stepped forward. Although they couldn't articulate any profound truths, they had simple experience in swimming and how to prevent riverbank collapse.
There were also several bricklayers who had helped the village repair wells and build earthen houses. They had a lot of experience in choosing soil and how to compact the foundation.
Among them, an old man named Old Beaver, with dark skin and calloused hands, caught Lin Yue's attention. He had spent his entire life as a fisherman and dam builder along the river in his hometown. As soon as he spoke, he pointed out several key issues on Lin Yue's planning map regarding the slope of the irrigation canals and the seepage prevention measures for the water tanks. His professionalism enlightened Lin Yue, a keyboard engineer with only theoretical knowledge.
[System Notification: Successfully recruited the [Water Conservancy Engineering Technical Team (Traditional Method Version)]. The community's engineering technical skills have been improved. Achievement [Every Profession Has Its Masters] unlocked.]
With the addition of these experienced local experts, the construction of the town's first waterworks officially commenced.
This time, almost everyone participated. Li Ge and Amu led the able-bodied men, responsible for digging the irrigation canals and three huge reservoirs. Under the precise marking and guidance of the old beaver and several experienced workers, they worked enthusiastically and with great efficiency.
Uncle Stone Fist personally led the team to fire more ceramic pipes to connect the three pools and the future water supply system.
Aunt Ella and Aunt Leah organized the women to go to the river to wash large amounts of sand and pebbles to prepare materials for the filtration pond.
Old Patton then took the children into the woods and collected a large amount of charcoal.
Lin Yue, along with Norm, carefully set up his amazing biological purification system along the edge and in the shallow water of the purification pool. This purification pool wasn't a simple deep pit. Lin Yue had the old beavers build several ecological terraces above the water using stones and mud along the edge of the pool, and fixed several floating islands woven from vines and wood to the center of the pool with wooden stakes.
They carefully transplanted the moonlight moss they had brought back from the Valley of Tears onto the damp rocks and soil clinging to the water's surface. This peculiar moss seemed to have a natural affinity for this humid environment, and it quickly spread out, like a silver carpet.
For the more precious Tranquil Mushroom strain, a more refined cultivation method was used. He mixed the strain with some humus and wood chips, filled it into specially made perforated ceramic plates, and then partially buried these plates in the moist soil of the ecological floating islands and terraces, allowing only a small portion to come into contact with the slowly flowing water.
“Our goal is not to drown them in the water,” Lin Yue explained to Norm, who was watching intently, as he operated the equipment. “Instead, we want to create a miniature wetland ecosystem. By letting the water flow through the roots and mycelium of these plants and fungi, they will naturally filter out and decompose the unseen harmful substances in the water as they absorb water and nutrients. This is called… root filtration and microbial degradation.”
Norm nodded, seemingly understanding, but his eyes were filled with a thirst for this new knowledge. He looked at the moonshine moss and tranquil mushrooms spreading out in the moist environment, as if he were seeing a miniature, vibrant, purified world.
After more than ten days of hard work and with everyone's concerted efforts, the first waterworks in Xiwang Town, covering an area of several hundred square meters and consisting of a water diversion canal, sedimentation tank, filtration tank, and purification tank, finally appeared miraculously upstream of the stream.
When Lin Yue and the old beaver slowly moved the last large rock blocking the entrance to the irrigation canal, everyone held their breath.
A stream of turbid water flowed merrily along the newly dug irrigation canal, first gushing into a huge sedimentation tank.
After swirling around in the sedimentation tank, the silt and debris in the water visibly settled, making the water much clearer. Then, the water flowed slowly through ceramic pipes into a filtration tank filled with sand, gravel, and charcoal. After layers of filtration, the water became almost completely free of impurities.
Finally, the crystal-clear water slowly flowed into the mysterious purification pool that shimmered with a faint glow.
The water flowing over the ceramic plates where calming mushrooms and moonshine moss were cultivated seemed to be imbued with some kind of magical power, becoming clearer, sweeter, and even carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance.
Everyone gathered around the outlet of the purification pool, watching with tension and anticipation as the first stream of brand-new water, having undergone a full SPA treatment, slowly flowed out of the ceramic pipe.
Lin Yue was so excited his heart was about to jump out of his chest. With trembling hands, he scooped up the first spoonful of purified water from a newly fired, clean earthenware bowl.
He first put it under his nose and smelled it. An unprecedented, sweet and refreshing aroma, a mixture of grass, minerals and a faint mushroom fragrance, wafted towards him.
Then, under the breathless gaze of everyone, he tilted his head back and drank the water in the bowl in one gulp.
Refreshing! Sweet! Invigorating!
The water seemed to carry a life force, sliding down his throat into his stomach, instantly dispelling all the heat and fatigue! Even his thoughts, which had become somewhat chaotic due to long-term overwork, became clearer.
[System Notification: Detection of [Hope Town Version 1.0 Purified Water]. Water Quality Assessment: Excellent! Removes over 95% of physical impurities and harmful microorganisms, and neutralizes some harmful energies. Contains trace amounts of beneficial minerals and calming elements. Effects: Safe for direct consumption; long-term consumption helps improve physical condition and relieve mental stress.]
Upon seeing the system notification, Lin Yue could no longer contain his elation!
He raised the empty bowl high in his hand, and with all his might, announced to all the residents of Hope Town who had devoted their sweat and wisdom to it:
"We succeeded! We succeeded!"
"From today onwards, Hope Town will officially achieve—freedom of drinking water."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in thunderous, long-lasting cheers, and the expressions of excitement and joy on everyone's faces lingered for a long time.
Considering that most of the town's residences are still only on paper, it is not practical to lay the complex water supply pipes directly to each household. Therefore, the terminal of the Hope Town's first waterworks is currently only laid to a huge public water storage tank specially built with bricks and stones next to the central square.
Everyone can use purified water here, which is infinitely more convenient than before for drinking, cooking, or daily cleaning.
To prevent precious water resources from being wasted, Lin Yue, together with Shi Quan and the old beaver, designed a simple manual valve.
They installed a sliding gate made of hard ironwood on the main pipe leading from the irrigation canal into the sedimentation tank. When a large amount of water is not needed, such as at night, the gate can be lowered to temporarily cut off the water supply, allowing the stream to continue flowing along its original course. When water is needed, the gate can be raised again.
This simple design, although requiring dedicated personnel for supervision and operation, has, under current conditions, maximized the on-demand use and effective management of water resources.
"Once all our red brick houses are built, I'll connect these ceramic pipes, one by one, to every kitchen and every individual bathroom!"
"When the time comes, everyone will just turn on the tap and clean water will gush out! That's what real tap water is all about."
With the water supply problem solved, it's time for that groundbreaking invention that will liberate everyone from the misery of emptying chamber pots to come into play.
Lin Yue's gaze fell upon the mountain of oddly shaped clay toilet models piled up in his office...
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