Nothing is more important to the health and wellbeing of a nation than clean running water and sustainable plumbing. We take a look at affordable plumbing technology available in South Africa, for households of every shape and size.
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FEATURE
The Wash-o-Toi system can hold 130l of greywater, which will flush one toilet 14 times a day.
Where the water flows − affordable plumbing for the discerning homeowner
Nothing is more important to the health and wellbeing of a nation than clean running water and sustainable plumbing. We take a look at affordable plumbing technology available in South Africa, for households of every shape and size.
By Kelly-Ann Prinsloo
“ are not here to fix toilets,” said Healthabitat programme manager Dave Donald at the opening of the Community Plumbing Challenge( CPC) in July this year.“ You are here to improve the health of the 1 200 people who will be using the toilets.”
There can be no doubt that healthy and sustainable plumbing has an enormous impact on the wellbeing of the population. The opposite is also true – unhealthy plumbing, open sewage and dirty water can make people sick and, in some cases, even cause death. According to the United Nations( UN), an estimated 801 000 children under the age of five perish from diarrhoea each year, mostly in developing countries. This means that about 2 200 children die every day as a result of water, sanitation and hygiene( WASH)-related diseases.
The point of that rather grim statistic is not simply to shock and scare you. Water-related diseases can strike anywhere – they are not simply the concern of dusty villages in distant African countries.
Any homeowner can be affected by this diseases and, if you can’ t afford to install the latest plumbing technology or replace your failing pipes every few years, you and those who live in your home might become part of that startling statistic.
See page 20 for more.
18
SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER 2016
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING