Ten ways to save water
South Africans are urged to do everything in their power to conserve our most precious resource
WITH Capetonians experiencing level 6B water restrictions, limiting them to only 50 litres of water per day (or less), level 4 water restrictions still enforced in the City and level 1 water restrictions in force in Johannesburg, South Africans are urged to do everything in their power to conserve our most precious resource.
‘The thinking that the crisis is always far away, that rains will solve the issue and that ‘someone will make a plan’ has seen many South Africans adopting a lacklustre approach to saving water,’ said Susan Steward, Marketing Manager of Budget Insurance.
‘Faced with absolutely critical dam levels and the very real risk of Cape Town becoming the first major city in the world to run completely dry, the time has come for serious concern and immediate action.’
Creative yet practical tips
Wash your laundry in large loads and use a bucket to collect the grey water. Then, use that grey, soapy water to clean your floors. This will save you about 15 litres of water.
Keep an eye out on social media for innovative new ways to save water.
Check all taps and pipes (including those attached to the toilet) for leaks.
If no water is being used and your water meter keeps running, there is a leak. A leak of just one drop per second can waste close to 1 000 litres of water a month. Report any leaks that aren’t on your property to the municipality –
0800 222 827.
Fitting aerators to the tips of taps limits splashing, and makes it seem like you’re using the same amount of water, while actually using less.
Add a sealed plastic bottle filled with sand to your toilet’s cistern to decrease the amount of water used per flush. Be sure to place it away from the working mechanisms of the toilet and only flush when absolutely necessary.
When cooking, cover pots and pans. This keeps water from evaporating and uses less energy to bring food to a boil.
Avoid using water to thaw food, rather use the fridge, it only takes a couple of hours longer.
There are devices such as special showerheads and even toilets that use less water to do the same job and could save you anything from 30% to 50% in water and money. Investigate these as alternative options.
Insulating water pipes limits wastage in waiting for water to heat up. This limits the amount of heat that escapes from water that is in the pipe between the geyser and tap when the tap isn’t in use – it also reduces your electricity bill.
Invest in a pool cover, reduce the temperature of your pool and switch off all but the essential pump that keeps the water moving to limit evaporation.
Limit pool pump usage to nighttime.Yusuf Abramjee, social activist and the Chief Ambassador for #SaveWater concludes: ‘Saving water should be the responsibility of each and every South African, not only those experiencing water restrictions.
While Cape Town has a crisis, we need to ensure that every municipality across our country does their bit. #EveryDropCounts and saving water must become a way of life.’
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