ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
35
#SurplusWater2025 –
Saving water
By Gerrie Brink, managing director AquaAffection
The recent water reductions imposed on Tshwane by Rand Water
have highlighted the need to reduce water usage in Tshwane and
in Gauteng.
Despite the recent rains, the 10-year water prediction
shows the situation to be critical, and everyone in the
City, residents, businesses, commerce and industry,
need to use water more efficiently.
reduce water usage significantly, without any difference
being noticeable, is another way of improving water demand
management.
There are many other ways of managing water, especially
once the usage pattern has been determined. And, of course,
once the ‘fixes’ have been put in place, it is essential that the
monitoring continues to ensure new leaks or excess usage
do not start up.
Tshwane gets about 70% of its purified drinking water
from Rand Water. They in turn get their bulk water from the
so-called Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), which draws
from a number of dams including Katse, Sterkfontein and
Vaal Dams. Much of the water feeding into this IVRS comes
from Lesotho via a water transfer scheme. The supply from
Lesotho is fixed at the moment and cannot be increased until
the next phase of the Lesotho transfer scheme is completed
– probably in 10 years from now. Therefore, the overall water
supply from Rand Water is limited for the next 10 years.
Gerrie Brink, managing
director, AquaAffection.
The aim of #SURPLUSWATER2025 is to create awareness of
the pending water crisis and for people and organisations to
share ideas. If everyone gets on board it is possible to reduce
water demand so that supply will exceed demand by 2025.
Hence #SURPLUSWATER2025.
It is also a platform where water savings can be logged and
the drop in demand can be seen. So, log in and participate.
At the same time an increasing population (Tshwane grows
by about 10 000 people per month) and growing industrial
and commercial water demand from new investments will
continue to put strain on the available water. In the recent
past, water demand exceeded water supply by about 15%.
This is a recipe for disaster unless we can better manage our
available water.
Let us all use water efficiently!
For further information contact Gerrie Brink
Email: [email protected] PA
A recent water management initiative under the banner
#SURPLUSWATER2025 has been established to encourage
better water demand management. Many residents and
businesses do not have a clear picture of their water usage,
and can certainly reduce this, saving crucial litres of water as
well as money.
Before anyone can manage their water usage, they need to
know how much they use, and what the pattern is of their
usage. It is easy enough to put a logger on your meter to get
this information. After a week or so a pattern will emerge, and
will show up any leaks, running toilets, urinals or taps.
The installation of high-pressure components in taps, which
March 2020 Volume 26 I Number 01
If these are dealt with it can immediately reduce water usage
significantly. Recently a project at a school in Johannesburg
showed significant night-time usage, when there should be
little or no usage at all. This usage was traced to leaking
toilets, and by installing new flushing mechanisms (at under
R200 per toilet) the monthly water consumption was reduced
by a whopping 80 %.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za