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 sources
World Wetlands Day, 2 February
What is World Wetlands Day? 2 February each year is World Wetlands Day. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, the Ramsar Secretariat has provided materials so that government agencies, non-governmental organizations, conservation organizations, and groups of citizens can help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands. Ramsar Convention defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen , peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters” . Such definition would include rivers, lakes, swamps, marshes, wet grasslands, estuaries, deltas, mangroves, coral reefs, human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoir, and salt pans among others. Phosphate film with Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor
Posted in Climate Change, Environmentally Friendly, Go Green, Grey Water Recycling, Recycle, safe water, Water Conservation, Water Tanks
Tagged 2 February, Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor, Natural Resources, Phosphate in water, Ramsar, Water Rhapsody, Water sources, Water tanks, Waterproblem, World Wetland Day
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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 !
Hydraulic Fracturing planning in the Karoo
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, has been used since the 1950s to stimulate oil and gas wells. The process involves pumping a sand-laden slurry into a well and subjecting it to enough pressure that the rocks in the productive formation fracture, or break. The purpose of the sand is to prop open the fracture, so it stays in place. The carrying fluid can then flow back out of the well, along with oil and gas if it’s been a successful frac. The technique of hydraulic fracturing is used to increase or restore the rate at which fluids, such as oil, gas or water, can be produced from a reservoir, including unconventional reservoirs such as shale rock or coal beds. Hydraulic fracturing enables the production of natural gas and oil from rock formations deep below the earth’s surface (generally 5,000-20,000 feet or 1,500-6,100 m). At such depth, there may not be sufficient porosity and permeability to allow natural gas and oil to flow from the rock into the wellbore at economic rates. For example, creating conductive fractures in the rock is essential to produce gas from shale reservoirs because of the extremely low natural permeability of shale. The fracture provides a conductive path connecting a larger area of the … Continue reading
Posted in safe water, Water Conservation
Tagged Drought, eco-friendly, Fracking, Global Concern, Karoo, Natural Resources, Water sources, Water usage, Waterproblem
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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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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
Why would I install a Water Tank when there is no rain?
This is a good question. Obviously a rainwater tank will not help if there is no rain at all. The thing is that most true drought occur inland whereas most of the population lives near the coast where it does rain. Sure we sometimes have dry seasons where we get below average rainfalls but even if you were to receive half of the average rainfall it should be enough to keep your tanks full for most of the year, if not all of it. This of course depends on the size of your rainwater tank and how much water you use but providing you have a reasonable size tank you should be right. Rainfall from 1990 – 1999 In Port Elizabeth 1990 441.8 Avg 569.41 1991 451.7 Lowest 441.8 1992 619.5 Highest 772.4 1993 638.7 1994 620.3 1995 513.1 1996 772.4 1997 539 1998 602.1 1999 495.5 For example, if you live in Port Elizabeth, where water restrictions are amongst the most severe the lowest rainfall in recent years was around 400mm, as shown in the table above for the years from 1990-1999. With a roof harvest area of 200 square metres you would collect around 80 000 litres. Port … Continue reading
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
Dangers of Water
What is the Single Most Dangerous Use of Water? The most dangerous ‘use’ is the agricultural, industrial and municipal pollution that threatens human health. Pollution is very insidious because it often happens out of sight and out of mind. The water that runs from farm fields, factories, or municipal wastewater treatment plants may enter rivers or groundwater. When we draw that water from streams or pump it from the ground we also get those contaminants. Major solutions to solving these water problems across the planet today are: 1) reducing nutrient and pesticide pollution (from our agriculture, our lawns, driving our cars, and destroying our wetlands); 2) reduce sewage pollution; 3) improve storm water management and watershed monitoring; 4) stop deforestations; 5) stop coastal development; 6) reduce pollution from oil and petroleum liquids; 7) reduce mercury emissions; 8.) clean up mining practices; 9) clean up chemical pollution; 10) stop global warming. What is the Biggest Misuse of Water? On a global scale; the excessive pumping of groundwater. It is most scary in India and China, which rely on large-scale, industrialized agricultur to feed their huge populations. They with f\draw more groundwater than Mother Nature provides reliably each year. The aquifers are declining. … Continue reading
“Water-shedding” in the pipeline for Grahamstown
Due to the consistently low levels of dams in the Grahamstown area, the Makana Municipality is considering limiting water supplies in some parts of town. Addressing a media conference on Thursday, Makana Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart said this “water-shedding” process will help the municipality to meet its demand for water supply. She added that this process of regular water cuts would work in a similar fashion to the electricity load shedding which is occasionally carried out by Eskom. Explaining how the municipality’s water operations sank to the level where they are “erratic” to the extent that the residents start questioning the water quality, Baart blamed the situation on earlier municipal reports which were never addressed.
Water Stress – New Global Headache
A third of the world’s people might have access to only half the water they need in the next decades if nothing is done on a sustainable basis right now. And South Africa is particularly vulnerable.The high amount of water usage in South Africa – as much as 25% of its renewable freshwater resources – puts it way above that of its sub-Saharan neighbours. And causing water stress, that is when the amount of water used exceeds 10% of renewable resources. Companies that rely on water for manufacturing or production processes need to look at ways of re-using their waste water for energy and irrigation. This is one way of stretching existing resources. This is a global problem and it has been estimated that has much as 80% of waste water is being discharged untreated in developing countries because of lack of regulations and resources. Global giant Coca-Cola is an industry leader in this regard – all its production facilities in South Africa have water treatment plants. It has a long-standing commitment to not only replace the water that it uses in the production of its beverages, but also on broader issues of water stewardship. It is one of … Continue reading
Posted in Water Conservation
Tagged Eastern Cape, Global Concern, safe water, Water shortage, Water sources, Water Stress, Water usage
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