Did you know that as much as 37% of water in South Africa is lost because of leaks in our urban supply systems? That is an estimated possible loss of over R7 billion in one year.

Reporting and fixing water leaks is just one way of stemming the huge water wastage. Here are other sensible ways to save not only water but also keep the water bills down.

In and around the house

    • Do a water audit – determine your monthly use by studying the municipal bill – and set goals to use water more efficiently. Keep track of your water usage
    • A dripping tap or leaking toilet can waste up to 30 litres an hour − fix leaks at home as soon as they become apparent and report any public water leaks to the local municipality immediately
    • By simply closing the tap while you brush your teeth, you can save as much as 150 litres of water a month
    • A shower uses 60 litres of water while the average bath uses about 160 litres. So rather shower, or share a bath
    • Around half of all household water is used for non-essentials such as watering the gardening and filling the pool, so consider installing a grey-water system to recycle household water.

In the garden

    • Invest in a rain water tank to harvest rainwater for use in the garden
    • Plant plants that are both indigenous and drought-resistant as they require only minimal watering
    • Water the garden early in the morning or after sunset to minimise evaporation
    • Use a sprinkler system and ensure the system only covers the lawn and plants, and not also the driveway and pavement
    • Mulch not only helps retain moisture in soil, but also helps control weeds that would compete with plants for available water
    • A pool cover will prevent unnecessary evaporation from the pool.

 

Sources

www.environment.co.za
www.journeyofwater.co.za
www.nelsonmandelabay.gov.za
www.watersolutions.co.za
www.westerncape.gov.za