President’s Message
Call for water education
T
he diversity of our country continues to amaze me. While some parts
are experiencing floods, other parts, sometimes a few kilometres
away are still battling under the crippling effects of the drought.
Ageing infrastructure and pipework in our
cities has not always been maintained and
this accounts for millions of litres of water that
are being wasted daily. Added to this is the
problem of residents that continue to flout
the water restrictions by irrigating suburban
lawns and gardens illegally.
Clearly a lot of work still has to be
done on education regarding our water
resources. Upon being questioned why a
communal tap was left permanently open
in one neighbourhood near East London, a
resident replied that “water comes from the
Government and will never get finished”.
With this in mind, this issue of SABI magazine
is especially pertinent. Sustainability and
climate change feature prominently, while
readers can catch up on the latest about the
forthcoming Pipes, Pumps and Valves show in
Midrand (17-19 May 2017). The popular “how to”
Mike de Villiers continues.
Western Cape SABI chairperson Ian de
Jager makes a worthy contribution about
hydropower, and details the potential and
projects undertaken in the Western Cape. Relax for a while and allow yourself to be
educated, informed and kept abreast of the
latest happenings and trends in the irrigation
and water industry.
Tony Ewels– President
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SABI | APRIL / MAY 2017
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