10 tips on how to save water

Municipal and governing authorities in South Africa have requested that citizens use water sparingly amid a drought and crisis which is expected to last into the new year.

In Gauteng, the City of Johannesburg has already implemented level two water restrictions which mean the following:

• No watering and irrigating gardens between 06:00 and 18:00
• No filling of swimming pools
• No using of hose pipes to wash cars, paved areas, etc.

Level three would entail supply of water at stipulated times a day, namely, only in the mornings and in the evenings at times to be announced, not unsimilar to electricity load shedding.

Last week, City of Joburg suggested that residents ‘shower or bath in groups’.

Joburg Water meanwhile said:

• You can store grey water in buckets to help flush toilets,water plants,wash cars, clean water for drinking,cooking & bathing.
• Avoid leaving your taps running, use a cup when drinking water instead of using your hands to drink water on a running tap.

The City of Cape Town has published a list of water saving tips on its website.

It notes that a person can save up to 20 litres of water per month by simply closing the tap when brushing your teeth.

Generally, 40 to 60% of household water is used for non-essential purposes, such as watering gardens and filling swimming pools, it said.

Here are 10 tips on how to save water:

1. Re-use the final rinse water from washing machines for the next wash cycle.
2. Flush toilets only when necessary.
3. Monitor water meters for high consumption and possible water leaks
4. Reduce shower times
5. Confine watering of gardens to before 10:00 or after 16:00
6. Perform a water audit at home
7. Collect rainwater for re-using on the garden or washing the car.
8. Use a broom instead of a hosepipe when cleaning driveways or patios.
9. Insulate hot water pipes so that not too much water is wasted when waiting for water to get hot.
10. Cover your swimming pool to reduce water evaporation

The Ekurhuleni municipality said that a number of areas had run dry due to the heatwave and drought in the region.

Ekurhuleni residents were requested to adhere to the following measures:

• No filling of swimming pools;
• No gardening and irrigation at all unless you make use of grey water;
• No water washing of pavements and cars;
• Reduce showering time and capture in buckets the cold water that initially comes from the showers;
• Repair leaking cisterns

The municipality said that if the situation in all of the areas above deteriorates further, “the EMM will implement water shedding measures and shut off supply from 10pm-3pm”.

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