Water, our most precious resource
In the build up to World Water Day on the 22nd of March, it is important for us to understand the necessity of water conservation and share awareness and responsibility with future generations. South Africa is classified as a semi-arid country and as such, we should be a nation of water conservationists. It is incredibly easy to implement water saving methods in your home and office environment. It is our hope that this article will inspire water conservation methods being adopted in your lives. Please share the information with your children to encourage the reuse of water and ways to minimise wastage.
Grey Water
What is grey water? Grey water can be characterised as “gently used waste water” from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry areas. This is by no means clean tap water and may contain some residual elements from washing dishes or laundry and from bathing / showering. We might consider this as dirty water but the use of grey water for irrigation and toilet flushing can be one solution all households can implement.
Manual Collection of Grey Water
This is easier than you may think, but it does entail discipline and continuity to make an actual difference. By implementing grey water collection in your home or office, you are effectively using the same water twice. This will ultimately result in lower water usage and a saving on your water utility bill.
There are no major infrastructure changes required and all you need is a bucket and a jug!
Bathroom Water Saving Tips:
Turn off the water tap while brushing your teeth and lathering your hair.
Take short five-minute showers instead of full baths.
Only have your towel washed once a week. You are perfectly clean after a shower and therefore it is not necessary to use a new towel every day.
Make sure there are no water leaks and dripping taps.
Use a water efficient shower head.
Kitchen and Laundry Water Saving Tips:
Don’t wash individual items or rinse them under running water, instead, only wash dishes when necessary. Fill one sink with warm soapy water and another with water for rinsing. The rinsing water can also be done in a bucket / container or “skottle”. Once the dishes are done, the water used for rinsing can be used in the garden.
While waiting for the warm water to fill the basin, run the water into the skottle for rinsing, this water can then be used to water the garden.
Rinse off fruit and vegetables in the skottle, this water can then be used to water indoor plants or in the garden.
Water used to boil eggs or veggies contain nutrients, once cooled, this water can be used in the garden.
Dropped ice cubes can be placed on indoor plants and hanging plant baskets.
Office Water Saving Tips:
As a collective, there are many positive contributions an office park or corporate building can make towards water conservation as part of their social responsibility. Even now in these tough economic conditions, effective water management could result in Rands saved.
Should there be some surplus in the budget, or you may be planning some renovations, please consider the replacement of older toilets and taps. Modern dual flush toilets and aerators on taps / shower heads will make a huge difference in the long run.
An inspection of the property by expert plumbers with water efficiency at the forefront of their process will result in water savings.
Create awareness of water saving techniques with staff and encourage them to report leaks and dripping taps.
In unused areas, shut off the water supply if possible. The area could potentially develop leaks that might not be found until actual damage is done.
Landscaping Water Saving Tips:
Match the garden and landscape to the weather conditions in your area. Ensure that the type of plants and irrigations systems used are best suited to the environmental conditions.
Regularly check for leaks and drips in the irrigation system. Also ensure that you are only watering the intended area and not driveways.
Remove all alien / invasive plants and replace with indigenous varieties.
General Water Saving Tips:
Grey water can be used to wash cars, bikes and dogs instead of using fresh water from the hose.
Don’t pour the old water from your fish tank down the drain. This water is typically rich in nutrients and can be used to water the garden.
When refreshing the dogs water bowl, don’t throw the old water down the drain. Use the water on indoor plants or in the garden.
Rather than use hundreds of litres of fresh water hosing down the driveway, instead sweep the area.
What Are the Benefits of Grey Water Usage?
By using grey water, you will use less fresh water from the municipality and have a positive effect on the environment. In essence, fresh water conservation.
As stated above, you are effectively using every drop of water twice before it ends up as waste water. In this way, less water ends up in the water sewage treatment process. It also reduces demand on the water pumping system.
In turn, there will be less demand on the electricity used to purify sewage water and pump water to homes and businesses.
The theme for World Water Day this year is “Groundwater: making the invisible visible”. By using grey water in the garden, you are effectively helping to replenish ground water levels. The soil will act as a filter as water moves down to the water table.
Become Water Wise
The amount of water available for use remains the same, and despite plans to increase storage capacity through the building of new dams or water transfer schemes, predictions are that the demand for water will outstrip supply by 2025. The only answer to this dilemma lies in changing people’s attitude and thus their behaviour to use water more wisely, and in this regard Rand Water’s “Water Wise” campaign is visionary.
(Source: http://www.waterwise.co.za/site/about/index.html Copyright Rand Water 2022)
Once your family or office park discover how easy and cost effective manual grey water harvesting is, you might consider piping and storage modifications. OHM Facilities and advise and assist in the implementation thereof.
