Rainwater Harvesting
It is now viable to harvest rainwater for your whole household. This includes rainwater harvesting, storing and pumping rainwater for bathing, showering, toilet flushing, pool, laundry and irrigation. Rainwater harvesting together with other Water Rhapsody products can save up to 90% of your water bill.
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Tag Archives: Water shortage
Calculation of average capacity of water supply dams.
According to Kupido Baron, spokesperson for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the rain was just in time, as the average level of the dams was very close to to 30%. This would have meant that the Municipality would make drastic decisions regarding the water scarcity and that quotas/contingents could be implemented. The average level of the dams before the rain was at 31.3%. How the average capacity of dams is calculated: Each dam has a full supply capacity expressed as a volume in Mega liters (Ml). The percentages that are reported weekly represent the volume of water left in each dam, expressed as a percentage of that particular dam’s full volume. The volume for each dam is different. One cannot add up the percentages and divide by five. The volume left in all the dams (example 96 906 Ml) is then expressed as a percentage of the total volume (277 401 Ml) if all the dams were full. Therefore 96 906 Ml divided by 277 401 Ml gives 34.93%. Have your rainwater harvesting system installed by Water Rhapsody and become independent of supply dams. Contact us for a quotation.
Lewis Pugh on Karoo Fracking
This is the content of a short speech given on Friday night in Cape Town by Lewis Gordon Pugh OIG (a.k.a. the Human Polar Bear) about the proposed fracking for gas in the Karoo, by Shell. He received a sustained standing ovation !
Water Restrictions 2012
Read this interesting views and motivation for the Water Rhapsody Systems by Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor. Most of the facts are also applicable to the situation in the Eastern Cape. “Does it take a genius to predict drought? While the fear of water restrictions work in favour of those of us who are involved in water conservation, it would be preferable for all of us to have smoothed restrictions rather than an all or nothing scenario. All of us mean the population at large, the municipality, the Department of Environmental Affairs as well as Water Rhapsody. Please let me explain?
Posted in Dam Levels, Rainwater Harvesting, Water Conservation, Weather
Tagged Dam Levels, Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, Desalination Plant, Drought, Eastern Cape, Jeremy Taylor, Water Conservation, Water Restrictions, Water Rhapsody, Water shortage, Water sources, Water Stress, Water tanks, Water Tariffs, Yes Solar
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What kind of droughts does South Africa experience?
A brief synopsis of drought in South Africa since 1960 -2005 Introduction The rainfall climate of South Africa is one of great variability. Seasonal rainfall percentage deviations since 1960 demonstrate wide fluctuations about the long-term average and it is in this context that large rainfall deficits must be assessed. Between July of 1960 and June of 2004, there have been 8 summer-rainfall seasons where rainfall for the entire summer-rainfall area has been less than 80% of normal. A deficit of 25% is normally regarded as a severe meteorological drought but it can be safely assumed that a shortfall of 20% from normal rainfall will cause crop and water shortfalls in many regions accompanied by social and economic hardship. Discussion All but the south-western and southern regions of South Africa rely on summer rainfall, which normally falls between October and March, the summer season. Rainfall is heaviest in the east and decreases westward. For convenience the rainfall season is taken to run from July until June of the following year, but rainfall outside of the summer season is usually insignificant. The consequence of rainfall being confined to six months of the year is that most crops can only be grown during … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change, Energy Saving, Green, Grey Water Recycling, Rainwater Harvesting, Renewable Energy, safe water, Water Conservation, Water Tanks, Weather
Tagged Dam Levels, drought disaster area, Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth, Rainwater Harvesting, Saving water, Solar, Solar geysers, Solar panels, Water shortage, Water tanks, Water usage, Yes Solar
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Use a Water Tank for your Garden
Using rainwater tanks is the perfect way for you to create the garden of your dreams and keep it green all year round. One of the biggest drains of a city’s water supply can come from people using their water for gardening. Most people enjoy the look of beautiful lawns and lush gardens, however this is using precious water that is needed for bathing, cooking or drinking. Gardens account for most of the water used in the home and is therefore the biggest domestic contributer to the water shortage. No matter what type of water problems you are experiencing and whether you stay in Western/Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Natal or anywhere else in the world for that matter, there is a way to have lush gardens without using up your city’s water supply. To build a system that is suitable for your garden, you need to calculate
Water in South Africa 2010
All low fruit of water has been harvested and exhausted. There is not a single river that can possibly be damned in the country to augment supply. There are no more augmentation schemes like we know to provide any more water. Simply put 2010 sees South Africa on its last dregs of supply management as we know it. The future is not rosy. The future: Worst hit will be the Reef. Ground water will soon be polluted with Acid Mine Water which will enter the water table and erode buildings. Rivers are being polluted with sewerage AMW, and it is not just the acid water that is so toxic to the rivers, but Cyanide, and radioactive substances including isotopes of Radon, Iridium and Uranium. The cocktail of these will make it impossible to use this water for anything whatsoever. Worse still, is that this water will reach the drinking water of the Vaal system and make this water unusable too, soon, within 18 months! There is not one single sewerage treatment works in the whole country that is able to process all of the sewerage effluent arriving in the pipelines to their works. This means that raw, untreated effluent is … Continue reading
What would you do if Your Town Ran out of Water?
Instant panic! Immediate thoughts would turn to your family and home. The taps would open, but nothing would come out, there may be a little water left in your kettle, and some in your geyser. Then you may hear the news that the city will be out of water for a month. More panic, but what to do about it. First things first. You need water to drink. You race off to the shops, only to find a long queue, patiently and some not so patiently waiting to buy bottled water. You may be among the lucky ones that get in first. I once saw people in a holiday town, fight at the Spar for a limited number of Bread Rolls that were becoming available. Imagine if the scarce resource were water! Then you would think of a longer term plan. Get a water tank. Quickly! So you could harvest any coming rain off your roof. But think about this. There are only about 140,000 water tanks made each year in South Africa. And we have a population of about 50 million. So there would be a mad scramble for water tanks until they were sold out. Isn’t it just … Continue reading
Rain=Water=Watertanks
Daily Rainfall over South Africa to the nearest mm Preliminary 24-hour rainfall data ending at 08:00 on the 2010-06-15 Rainfall in whole mm EASTERN CAPE ADDO ELEPHANT PARK 17 BISHO 08 CAPE ST FRANCIS 12 DOHNE – AGR 01 EAST LONDON WO 07 ELANDS RIVER-BOSBOK RAND 25 ELLIOT 01 FLOWER RESERVE ARS 23 FORT BEAUFORT 04 GRAAFF – REINET 09 GRAHAMSTOWN 22 JOUBERTINA AWS 16 KRIEGERS KRAAL ARS 07 NGQURA (COEGA) 14 PATENSIE 14 PORT ALFRED – AIRPORT 26 PORT ELIZABETH WO 29 QUEENSTOWN 02 SOMERSET EAST 11 ST ALBANS PRISON ARS 27 THIRD AVENUE DIP ARS 36 TSITSIKAMMA 52 UITENHAGE 07 UMTHATHA WO 01 WILLOWMORE 09 Recently I had a conversation with a friend, discussing ‘Helping other people’, and how difficult it is sometimes so have the right tools, the know-how, the correct place or timing, the money and so the list (excuses!) go on. And how frustrating (or easy) it is, to sit back and wait for something to happen. When nothing happens, or even if the situation become worst….. who have you got to blame? My friend’s advice was: “Use what you got in your hands!” It might only be a phone for listening, it might … Continue reading
Port Alfred set to run out of Water
The Ndlambe Municipality has intervened to stave off an impending water disaster in Port Alfred by drastically reducing the pressure in supply pipes. The decision was taken at a crisis meeting of the Ndlambe council yesterday morning, guided by municipal experts who have warned there is less than a month of drinking water left for the Sunshine Coast town, at the present rate of consumption. It was implemented immediately from yesterday midday, according to Communications manager Khulukile Mbolekwa. A team was also set to compiling a business plan to present to the government to support a plea for urgent funding for a new disalination plant. The de-pressurisation measure has been implemented equally, across poor and affluent areas, in Port Alfred and adjoining Nelson Mandela Township, Mbolewa said. The town is an uneven area, with valleys and hills, and it is possible residents in the high-lying areas will be more challenged for supply. They will get water, but supply will be slow. Port Alfred has only about seven days for drinking water left from its main source, the Sarel Hayward Dam, situated in the catchment above Bathurst. Besides this there is a holding dam that is still full, and it will give us the extra days for the … Continue reading
Posted in Grey Water Recycling, Rainwater Harvesting, Water Conservation
Tagged Bathurst, Dam Levels, Desalination Plant, drought disaster area, Greywater re-use, Port Alfred, Port Elizabeth, Rainwater Harvesting, Saving water, Water Restrictions, Water shortage, Water Stress, Water tanks, Water usage
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Rainwater Tanks: Part 2
Trends in Water Tanks There are many styles of water tanks available, with new innovations coming out all the time. The most common types of tanks are the plastic or polymer tanks which are traditionally been round in shape. These days, manufacturers are working with rectangular or square designs which are often much easier to place within a home and look much less intrusive. These tanks are also available in a huge range of colours, so that they are able to suit any home colour scheme. Steel tanks are still common, also, and these are usually lined with polyethylene in order to prevent corrosion. While round is still the most common shape, it seems that manufacturers are finding new ways to work with steel all the time. Concrete water tanks are best if you need to locate your tank underground. As thy are load-bearing, they are great for placing under things such as driveways and entertaining areas. More foreign designs: One new innovation in water tank design is to design the tank so that it resembles a boulder or a rock. This allows the tank to be placed unobtrusively within the landscape, so that the casual observer wouldn’t even know … Continue reading
