6 ASSOCIATIONS
Plumbing industry plays a leading role in water demand management
By
IOPSA
In less than 10 years , it is predicted that water demand will surpass supply in South Africa . The onus , therefore , also lies with households and businesses to use water efficiently to help avert this looming crisis .
The implementation of efficient plumbing systems is a critical first step in the water-management hierarchy , which prioritises specific interventions to conserve water .
“ Attending to leakages and installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures and fittings on properties are the easiest and most cost-effective of the three levels of the water-management hierarchy to implement . By first focusing on improving the efficiency of existing plumbing systems , some premises have been able to reduce water demand by more than 50 %. This is before implementing the subsequent levels of the water-management hierarchy to further reduce reliance on municipal supplies . These levels include reusing or recycling water ; outsourcing water through methods such as rainwater harvesting ; and the regeneration or treatment of wastewater before it is reused ,” Brendan Reynolds , Executive Director of the Institute of Plumbing South Africa ( IOPSA ) says .
IOPSA-accredited plumbers are trained to correctly repair leaking pipes and faulty plumbing systems , as well as install new water efficient fittings . This is in addition to the skills and experience that are needed in the subsequent levels of the water-management hierarchy . These include the ability to properly and safely plumb treated greywater and groundwater sources directly into buildings for specific applications . The association ’ s members have , therefore , worked with many of the country ’ s engineers on ‘ greening ’ projects that have helped , among others , households , businesses , learning institutions and schools reduce reliance on severely strained municipal grids .
Among these water efficiency projects are those that were undertaken in Cape Town to help drive back ‘ Day Zero ’, when it was anticipated that the city would run out of water during the worst drought in the Western Cape in more than one hundred years . While the situation has since normalised in the city , many areas of the province , including towns in the Great Karoo , are still experiencing severe water shortages due to the unrelenting dry spell .
Mixer with aerator .
All images © Plumbing Africa | Rory Macnamara
There has also been a notable growth in demand for water efficient plumbing in other provinces , considering the key role that it plays in reducing municipal water services bills . This has helped to incentivise homeowners and businesses to use water more efficiently . It is believed that this trend will persist unabated as water costs continue to treble . Municipal water costs have been increasing four times faster than inflation and , in 2020 , they were almost 1 300 % higher than in 1996 . These charges , including the basic water levy , currently account for the second-largest component of municipal bills after electricity . They make up as much as between 28,2 % and 17 % of the municipal bill of low-income and high-income households , respectively .
Demand for efficient plumbing is also driving extensive innovation in plumbing systems by international manufacturers . For example , major strides have been made by companies in improving the efficiencies of
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline February 2022 Volume 27 I Number 12