Testimony
If scientific studies on the JW Eco-Technology offer evidence to prove its positive effects, then the Xizhi sponge road built using the JW Eco-Technology can be thought of as an advertisement for the eco-technology.
Nearly every news article on the JW Eco-Technology includes pictures of the sponge road in Xizhi. After the sponge road was installed, Ms. Ling-Yu Fu, Director of the Limen Village Zhongzheng Community Development Association, worked very hard to ensure the sponge road was as effective as promised. She carefully observed the sponge road on a daily basis, and she even sent the water recycled from the JW Eco-Technology Pavement for quality testing. When we interviewed Ms. Fu, she was proud to share the features of the sponge road with us:
Feature 1: Flood prevention. The JW Eco-Technology Pavement allows water to seep into the soil.
Feature 2: Drought prevention. The underground water storage tank has a capacity of 70 tons. In 2015, there was a period of time when it did not rain for 38 days. Nonetheless, the underground water storage tank was able to collect well over 130 tons of water in total through the JW Eco-Technology Pavement.
Feature 3: Temperature adjustment. A thermometer was placed on the side of the road. In the heat of summertime, the surface temperature of the JW Eco-Technology Pavement was sometimes 10-20 degrees Celsius lower than that of normal asphalt roads. Therefore, the JW Eco-Technology Pavement serves as a cool walkway for the locals.
Feature 4: Microorganisms. Ms. Fu discovered traces of earthworms from the JW Eco-Technology’s Aqueduct Grate. It was concluded that small organisms and insects are able to live under the JW Eco-Technology Pavement.
Feature 5: High quality water. The results of the water test showed that the water collected through the JW Eco-Technology is of premium quality. The water from the underground reservoirs is better than that collected from the mountains. In times of emergency, the water in the underground reservoirs can be supplied for human use.
Feature 6. Soft texture. When walking on the JW Eco-Technology Pavement, people found the ground to be softer and more comfortable than walking on regular roads. Ms. Fu explained that the exchange of air through the small holes on the JW Pavement results in a buoyant force, which may be the reason that people found the road to be more elastic or softer than regular asphalt roads.
We believe that Ms. Fu shares her discoveries with those who come to see sponge road in the Limen Village. Therefore, the wonder of the sponge road spreads quickly.
photo credit: Ms. Ling-Yu Fu
By Demi Lin