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 usage
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
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 1
A rainwater tank is a beneficial addition to any home, whether new or established, and the additional water can give a homeowner freedom from the water restrictions that are in place in many areas of South Africa/Eastern Cape. However, there are some things that you need to consider when choosing a water tank in order to ensure that you have the one that is right for you. Here is some tips to remember when choosing which water tank will suit you best: The Size: This is by far the most common question. The size of the tank will depend on your requirements. If you plan to use the water on your garden, you will only need a smaller tank. A larger tank will be required of you plan on using the water inside your home. Water tanks can store as little as a thousand litres of water and as much as 20 000 litre or more. The Design: The design of the tank will depend on the situation and also your requirements. Tanks come in many shapes and sizes, so there is one to suit almost every home. Space: The amount of space that you have either beneath you home (designed into … 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
Proposed water tariff hike on cards
The Amathola Water Board is proposing an 8.8 percent water tariff increase to its main recipients, which means that consumers in Buffalo City and areas under the Amathole District Municipality can expect further increases in tariffs, reports Msindisi Fengu. Amatola Water Board finance director Craig Step said the proposed increase should be viewed in the context of increases in major inputs such as electricity, bulk water purchases from the Department of Water Affairs and worker’s salaries. “The tariff increases could have some impact on the final pricing by municipalities, which could then be projected to the end user (residents). As water boards are part of the water value chain, any changes effected would have an effect on the rest of the components of this value chain,” he said. Step said the increase would also affect police stations, clinics, schools and industrial clients - Daily Dispatch, 10 May 2010
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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