The exact savings are hard to predict, but fitting a geyser blanket around your geyser and insulating your hot water pipes is recommended, says Palmer, as these prevent heat loss when the geyser is switched off. Geyser blankets range in price from R90 to R400 – only buy those that are SABS-approved, Eskom-endorsed and flameproof. DIY kits are available but it’s easiest to ask a plumber to install the blanket, at a cost of roughly R250–R450 per hour (it shouldn’t take longer than an hour). For more information, go to www.eskomdsm.co.za.

To build a system that is suitable for your garden, you need to calculate a) how much water you need and b) how much water you get. Local rainfall tables are available from Weather SA. By using slimline tanks you can keep your tanks out of the way so they don’t take up valuable space in your garden. If you can’t afford a big tank, use a modulate tank so you can start with one and join on another one next year. Slimline tanks are typically round or elliptical, and some tanks are rectangular and flat, so that fit together and look like a normal wall or fence.

Using rainwater for your garden is also a great idea because you don’t have to do anything to the water before you use it for your plants and vegatables. In fact, some research shows the water even healthier than watering them out of your own water supply, depending on where your local water comes from. Water from the tap is treated with chemicals to make sure there is no harmful bacteria, strange colours or smells. Pipes that deliver the mains water can be over 50 years old and full of rust, dirt, tree roots and other nasty pollutants. Compare that to rainwater which falls directly from the sky!

Getting the water from the tank(s) to your garden, you have a few options to consider. This can be as simple as a watering can or hose for small blocks, although this might result in some serious back injuries after a while! Or an integrated set up with pumps and controllers which is better for larger gardens. If you are concerned with small particles gettingf caught in the sprinklers or you also intend on using the water in your home, then you might consider installing the Water Rhapsody Rain Runners onto your downpipes which sieves out any dirt or particals larger than 1mm. Spiders, Mosquitoes, frogs and other creepy crawlies love water tanks so make sure all openings are covered or closed tightly.

Rainwater tanks will make big difference to your garden and water use and will cost you a lot less than you think. Rain is free so we might as well use it! So call us for delivering or installing your rainwater tanks.  In the Eastern Cape we are about to enter the time of the year when heavy rainshowers are to be expected. Be prepared and get water tanks now!

Have a look at this video to see the effects of overloading our environment with phosphates usually used in washing powders on a daily basis.

Use our Eco-friendly Products links to find out more about phosphate-free detergents. Also read this very informative post on Eco-friendly Laundry: http://www.watersafe.co.za/2010/03/10/eco-friendly-laundry/

1000 L  = R1047.49

Water Tank

2500 L = R1834.10

5000 L = R2608.89

Prices valid until end of July 2010.

Make use of this wonderful opportunity!

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 only be your car for transport to buy milk and bread. It might not feel enough, but still, its helps a bit. And a bit might be more appreciated at that moment than you think!!

My friend’s advice become my advice to you today! Do you want to be self sufficient concerning your water supply at home? Are you frustrated of waiting for something to happen, for things to get better? Are you afraid of the quality of water in the future? How much it will cost? That restrictions might not be lifted even though your area are not in critical condition anymore? Well, do something about it then! How?  Use what you have got.  The rain we had recently is  free! It can be utilised for your needs, in-house or outside. We supply watertanks, will also install them should you not be able to, and help you to become independant from other water suppliers. Contact Water Rhapsody for a free quote on Watertanks, Rainwater Harvesting, Grey water Recycling and more. Every drop helps!

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 that it was there. These tanks are also fantastic for environmentally sensitive areas. In recent years. a major advancement in water tank design has been the development of the rubber water tank bladder. The sheer flexibility of these means that they can be installed underneath a house, or even in the back of a vehicle. Bladders are completely sealed and have an extremely high resistance to puncturing to ensure that they will not burst in the home’s sub-floor space. Water bladders come with all of the necessary inlet and outlet valves.

 - Give us a call at Water Rhapsody, we will give you free advice and - Rainwater Harvesting quote. Let us help you to become water-independent and live a greener life.

To start with, Water Rhapsody will help you to install water tanks at your premises. We will help you to decide which size water tank for the size of your house you need and will suit you best. By adding our unique device called a Rain Runner at every down pipe,  the water is sieved clear before it reached your water tank.

Usually the harvested rainwater are being used to irrigate your garden and lawn, but there are many more ways you can utilise your water and conserve municipality water:

” Only recently introduces in South Africa there is now a controller system on the market which can switch automatically between municipal supply and rainwater tanks, based on whether or not there are rainwater available for use”.

-  Not so true, we (Water Rhapsody) have been installing our systems for 16 years throughout South Africa. Our Grand Opus System also  has a municipal water inlet, which can be used as is needed. In rainy seasons, the whole household can be supplied only by rainwater, never needing to make use of municipal water, should the tank (s) be topped up regularly. This will give you the maximum benefit from your water tanks.

” If the full house system and special controllers sound too complicated and expensive for your, then there are less expensive ways to use your rainwater, for instance, one of the largest areas of water consumption within the home is the washing machine. These appliances can use from 80 to 250 litres per load which can be up to 50% of the current daily threshold allowed per household before higher tariffs are levied on your account. Using a very small and economical pressure pump fitted with an electronic controller which senses pressure demand along with some basic piping and connectors, one can quickly and easily lessen one’s daily consumption and use some of the harvested rainwater to do the laundry”.

 - This is exactly what Water Rhapsody can do for you! When we meet our prospective client, we sit down and discuss what their needs are. We can make suggestions and name examples, but at the end, we want to provide in your need. So should it be to use your rainwater for your laundry, or for flushing your toilets, or for topping up your swimming pool, this is our business and we can and will do it for you.

“Regardless of how you want to utilize your harvested rainwater, it is highly recommended that homeowners consult with a person knowledgeable in the supply and installation of pumps and the other components used in these types of systems as there are some very important questions which need to be asked and considerations to be taken to insure that the correct system is purchased to provide the most benefit while keeping cost to a minimum and making the system installed the most viable”

 - Again, we will provide you with all the necessary information you need. We allow you to ask all your questions, to be well-informed and satisfied with the system before we install it for you. Let us do the hardwork, so you don’t have to change your lifestyle or your comfort. This is something  that need to be done in every household, and will hopefully soon become essential in every household!

Groundwater, which is the  water that remains under the ground and is tapped into to provide drinking water for homes is generally polluted by the activities that occur just above it. People are the number one cause of groundwater pollution. Having water samples tested regularly is the only way to be sure that the groundwater is not contaminated. Unfortunately, there are a multitude of potentiol groundwater pollutants that can seriously contaminate drinking water. Most ground water  pollution happens because of improper disposal, use or stotage  of chemicals, pesticides, or substances like car engine oil.

Deicing salts that are used for clearing driveways and pathways can contaminate groundwater. Landfills have been known to cause toxic runoff that infiltrated the groundwaters supply and underground tanks for storing gasoline and diesel for petrol stations can develop minor leaks and seep into the ground.

A groundwater supply that  is directly over a plot filled with animals, such as a farm environment, can be contaminated with the bacteria from aminal waste, The chronic use of chemically based pollutants such as weed killer, insecticides, and antifreeze puts many home groundwater supplies at risk for contamination.

Because there  are so many variables that can lead to groundwater pollution it is vital that the state of groundwater health be tested regularly.

Different causes of groundwater pollution have different warning signs. Sometimes these warning signs can  be found in the water itself while other times it takes awareness of one’s surroundings  to notice a problem. Being aware of potention dangers can help determine a problem should one develop.

When buying or leasing a new property, residents should become familiar with the hazards that are nearby. Is there a landfill in the area or a gas station across the street? Does the property have a septic system? This type of informaton can help residents keep themselves safe from exposure to pollution that can enter groundwater.

The three most common causes of groundwater pollution are septic systems, residential use of pesticides or automobile chemicals, and the use of deicing salts. If deicing salts were to seep into the groundwater supply the water’s  taste would become suspiciously salty. It takes a home test to determine high levels of chloride in the water itself to confirm the suspicions.

Most pesticides and other home use chemicals are either not readily detected in the water or will cause sudden illness in everything that the water is used to sustain. When plant life that is watered with pesticide polluted groundwater the plants tend to become ill and die. Animals that drink from the polluted water also become ill and may die.

If there is a stream or other small body of water on the property or nearby it is likely that the groundwater contaminaton has leached into the surface water and is killing the aquatic plants, fish and other dependant animals. While it usually takes a significant amount of chemical residue create such health hazards, over time some chemicals can accumulate and the property can have much more chemical base contaminants than originally  thought.

Septic system pollution usually shows signs of septic system failure elsewhere. Residents are likely to find that the septic system has backed up and is creating a raw sewage flood somewhere in the yard or the surrounding property.

In most cases groundwater tests are needed to determine the level of bacteria that infiltrated the groundwater. In very rare cases the water might appear to be off color or contain an unwelcome aroma.

 - Think before using any products or substances that might be harmfull to groundwater, even though you think it might not be enough to cause pollution of any sort, the other person might think the same, and at the end everybody is at risk.

DA caucus leader: Leon de Villiers introduced an urgent motion at yesterday’s budget and treasury committee meeting, saying he had received notification on Monday evening that the municipality was poised to introduce a much higher punitive tariff. The letter, dated 11 May, said the decision followed a meeting of the water management committee on May 5 that had accepted the need for a ‘considerable’ increase in the light of the ongoing drought that has already seen the metro declared a disaster area.

The details of the planned increase would be made available at next week’s joint meeting of bugdet and treasury and the mayoral committee, he was told.

According to Water and Sanitation Director,  Mr Barry Martin, the metro is experiencing the ravages of  ’a green drought’. Rain has been received in the city areas, but unfortunately not where it is most necessary to supply the same area with daily water. A briefing on the Emergency Drought Implementaion Plan has been arranged for tomorrow.

The combined capacity ot the metro’s dams currently stand at 35.05%. The Kouga dam is 34.3% full, Churchill 10.6%, Impofu 43.8%, Loerie 46.7% and Groendal 39.6%. Being declared a drought disaster area, the city is allowed to apply for R1.6 billion in emergency funding to tackle the crisis. Plans that might be implemented and are being discussed, include a desalination plant at Kouga of which the cost will be R750 million, and fast tracking of the Nooitgedacht Dam low-level scheme that will cost R650 million.

 - Start acting now, have a Garden Rhapsody installed in your house, to use the water you pay for twice. Or get ahead of future rains, and install the Grand Opus, harvesting your rainwater for usage in-and outside the house. Do not allow the higher water tariffs to have an effect on you, your lifestyle or your future!