FITTING THOUGHT 1
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The flow from Plumbing Month to Earth Month … coincidence or connection?
With Plumbing Month having reached its conclusion in March, we move swiftly into April, and with it, Earth Month.
Earth Month is celebrated annually throughout the entire month of April, culminating in Earth Day on 22 April annually. This extended period provides individuals, organisations and governments with a focused opportunity to raise awareness about environmental issues, promote sustainable practices and take action to protect our planet. 1
The significance of Earth Month The Institute for Environmental Research and Education emphasises,“ Earth Month serves as a potent reminder of our collective responsibility towards the environment. It amplifies the message of sustainability, encouraging conscious consumption, responsible resource management and the mitigation of climate change. Beyond a simple day of recognition, a whole month dedicated to environmental awareness allows for deeper engagement, fostering long-term behavioural changes and driving meaningful impact.” 1
For our World Plumbing Day feature in the March edition of the magazine, we touched on sustainability in South Africa – the need for sustainability and the role of the plumber in achieving this, as well as the current obstacles that face embracing sustainability-plumbing in the country. An extract from this article highlights the connection between plumbing and sustainability:
“ In a 2023 Executive Summary by the Department of Water and Sanitation( DWS), water losses of 40.8 %, and Non-Revenue Water( NRW) of 47.4 % were revealed. The report calls for“ innovative technologies that require little or no water or recycled water”. 2 This is where sustainability comes in, and ties with supply and conservation and infrastructure. The question surrounding infrastructure is‘ How do we sustain and maintain infrastructure?’”
Currently, South Africa’ s infrastructure cannot keep up with the current water demand, due to various reasons including urbanisation and the value of water being misunderstood and understated. Water is cheap and too readily available, so it is not being treated as the valuable resource that it is. With the population always growing, the value of water not being appreciated, and the water supply remaining the same, we are constantly exerting more stress on an already-stressed resource.
This is where the plumber comes in – through systems that reuse water, products that save it and off-the-grid technologies.
How the plumber can aid the situation South Africa has many sustainable products and systems available for plumbing – they simply need to be adopted and used. The available products and systems include: 1. Rainwater harvesting 2. Filtration systems to make water potable, therefore useful in more applications 3. Boreholes 4. Underground water / storm water management 5. Recycled waste, where mini wastewater treatment plants are installed on properties 6. Water-efficient products like taps, mixers and shower heads 7. Solar-powered geysers and heat pumps
Earth Month emphasises each and every individual’ s role in protecting the planet. As plumbers, you protect one of the most precious resources on the planet. You hold the key to making that resource last for the generations to come, by choosing sustainability. To quote Jochen Zeitz,“ Sustainability is not about doing less harm. It’ s about doing more good.”
Wishing everyone a wonderful and conscientious Earth Month. PA
Megan
References: 1. The Institute for Environmental Research and Education: https:// iere. org / whenis-earth-month / 2. National State of Water Report 2023-Executive Summary 1. pdf
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April 2026 Volume 32 I Number 02 www. plumbingafrica. co. za