California in the US is currently gripped by one of the most punishing droughts on record – a dry spell lasting 4 years. In July officials ordered a 25 percent overall cut in urban consumption of drinkable water. Different targets were set for cities and water agencies – in one area a target of 24 % was set. The implications of this are dire!
A property manager at a 149-unit complex ripped up 3,900 square feet of grass and planted drought-tolerant landscaping. The complex’s water bill has been cut in half as a result.
According to Andrew Schaefer, the MD of Trafalgar Property Management, a tap leaking at the rate of just one drop per second will waste approximately 10 000 litres of water per year.
Joburg, like the rest of South Africa, is in crisis, but do we really comprehend the urgency of the problem?
Probably not.
In the majority of sectional schemes (at least in those that don’t have separate water metres for each and every section), water costs are hidden – the cost of water is included in the monthly levy and calculated according to participation quota.
However IF the Trustees of a scheme take the time and effort to become actively involved in reducing water consumption the results will be more than gratifying and will, in addition, contribute to ameliorating the national disaster that we are currently facing.
HOW CAN YOU PERSONALLY SAVE WATER?
- Check your section for leaking taps and have them repaired;
- Put plastic bottles in your toilet tank to cut down on water waste, put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two 1 litre plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms;
- Install water saving low-flow shower heads;
- Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful;
- Close the tap while brushing your teeth and only switch it on again when you rinse your teeth;
- Insulate your water pipes. It’s easy and inexpensive to insulate your water pipes with pre-slit foam pipe insulation. You’ll get hot water faster and avoid wasting water while it heats up.
WHAT CAN THE TRUSTEES DO TO SAVE WATER?
- Investigate installing separate water meters for each section – when every owner actually sees how much water they (or their tenants) consume every month, they will make a greater effort to be more careful;
- Install rainwater tanks or allow individual owners to install rainwater tanks for purposes of irrigation;
- Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants, or overseed an existing lawn using drought-resistant grasses such as the new “eco-Lawn”;
- Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants, mulch will slow evaporation of moisture while discouraging weed growth. Adding 2 – 4 inches of organic material such as compost or bark mulch will increase the ability of the soil to retain moisture;
- Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks;
- Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, taps and couplings – Leaks outside the house may not seem as bad since they’re not as visible but they are.
Water conservation comes naturally when everyone is aware of its importance. Regrettably South Africans have not been exposed to a culture of “water conservation awareness”, and this will have to change.
You may also be interested in: Sectional Title Matters: My Tenant must go NOW!
