Drainage facts for kids
Drainage is the process of removing water from a specific area. This water can be on the surface, like puddles, or underground, like groundwater. Both natural processes and human-made systems help with drainage. For example, rivers naturally drain land. But sometimes, we need to build ditches or pipes to drain land, especially for farming or building.
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Drainage in Ancient Times
People have been using drainage systems for a very long time. One of the oldest examples comes from the Indus Valley Civilization. This was a group of ancient cities in what is now Pakistan and North India. Around 3100 BC, these cities had very advanced systems for moving water away.
The cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are famous for their planning. All houses had access to water and drainage. Dirty water from homes flowed into covered drains. These drains ran along the main streets. Their systems were much better than those in many other ancient cities. They were even more efficient than some areas today.
Why Do We Need Drainage?
Sometimes, land is too wet for certain uses. For example, wetlands often need drainage to be used for agriculture. In places like the northern USA and Europe, glaciers long ago created many small lakes. Over time, these lakes slowly filled up with plant material, becoming marshes.
To make these marshes useful for farming, people dug open ditches and trenches. This helped to remove the extra water. Good drainage helps soil become healthier. It also makes it easier for crops to grow.
A Big Drainage Project: The Netherlands
One of the largest drainage projects in the world happened in the Netherlands. This project has been going on for hundreds of years. The area between Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Leiden was once a huge swamp with small lakes.
Over time, cutting turf (a type of soil), land sinking, and water wearing away the land caused a big lake to form. This lake was called the Haarlemmermeer, or the lake of Haarlem. In the 15th century, people invented wind-powered pumps. These pumps helped drain some of the wet land around the lake.
But to drain the entire large lake, much bigger pumps were needed. Steam-powered pumps were later designed for this huge task. The lake was finally drained between 1849 and 1852. This created thousands of km2 of new land. This new land is now used for farming and building.
Images for kids
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High density polyethylene pipe installation in a storm drain project, Mexico.
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Remains of a drain at Lothal circa 3000 BC
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Tank Stream, a historical drain in the City of Sydney
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A plastic (PVC) flexible drainage pipe, used to drain water from the roof of a residential house or building
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Piping being placed for a sink
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An agricultural drainage channel outside Magome, Japan after a heavy rain. Note that protuberances create turbulent water, preventing sediment from settling in the channel.
See also
In Spanish: Drenaje para niños
