After years of droughts and water warnings, a Grocott’s Mail front-page photo last month of water overflowing from Settler’s Dam was a welcome relief. That being said, this new-found abundance of water does not reduce the importance of conserving the precious resource wherever possible. Makana’s water infrastructure is showing signs of strain, and the less pressure put on it, the better. You don’t have to be a hardcore environmentalist to conserve water either; here are some tips on how anyone can do their part to help keep the taps flowing.
After years of droughts and water warnings, a Grocott’s Mail front-page photo last month of water overflowing from Settler’s Dam was a welcome relief. That being said, this new-found abundance of water does not reduce the importance of conserving the precious resource wherever possible. Makana’s water infrastructure is showing signs of strain, and the less pressure put on it, the better. You don’t have to be a hardcore environmentalist to conserve water either; here are some tips on how anyone can do their part to help keep the taps flowing.
In the bathroom
•Whether you’re washing your face, brushing your teeth or shaving – you only need a few seconds of running water. Turn off the tap the rest of the time – you’d be amazed at how quickly it all adds up.
•Fill a 2L plastic bottle with sand and place it in the tank above your toilet. Almost all household toilets use far more water per flush than they need to, and this simple measure could save several litres per day.
•Only flush when necessary. Remember the water saving credo: if it’s yellow, let it mellow – if it’s brown, flush it down.
•Dripping taps are more than just an annoyance – they can waste hundreds of litres of water a year. Ensure that your taps are tightly turned off, and if drips persist, have the leaks fixed.
•A new showerhead can make a world of difference. There are dozens of low-flow models available and many are affordable.
In the kitchen
•If you have a dual sink, use one side for washing and the other side for rinsing. If you only have one sink, use a large bowl or basin to rinse. This will let you monitor how much water you are using, instead of just running the tap to rinse soapy dishes.
•Wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water rather than running them under the tap. Use this water later on your lawn or garden.
•Try to wait for your dishwasher to fill up before running it. If you wash your dishes by hand, rather do so once a day or less – bigger, more infrequent washes cut down on unnecessary water use.
Around the house
•If you change your pet’s water bowl, throw the old water into the garden or over the lawn instead of dumping it down the drain.
•Ask yourself if your clothes are actually dirty or if they could be worn again. If you can cut back by even one load a month you’ll save hundreds of litres of water a year.
•When you do wash clothes, use cold water. This saves energy and helps keep your clothes from fading.
Outside
•If you water your lawn or garden, do so in the morning or evening.
In South Africa, if you water between 10am – 3pm as much as 90% will be lost to evaporation.
•Install a rain collection system. A basic rain barrel should supply you with all the garden water you need. More sophisticated methods can provide an alternative source of fresh, clean drinking water.
•Go indigenous: many local plant species require less watering.
•When you mow your lawn, put your mower on its highest setting. Longer grass grows deeper roots and requires you to water it less frequently.
