Alex residents pioneer Unilever’s countrywide #Water Smart Campaign

Alex residents pioneered Unilever’s countrywide #Water Smart Campaign which kicked off at Pan Africa Mall on 2 March.

The campaign is to create awareness on water conservation as the drought in the Western Cape intensifies leading to strict water restrictions in Cape Town and other towns in the province. Similar water scarcity is also in parts of the Northern Cape and Free State.

With less than normal rainfall nationally, the problem is likely to also affect other provinces including Gauteng and many parts of the drought-prone southern African region.

The company’s brand manager Lerato Dumisa said the campaign based on a water conserving detergent (Sunlight 2 in 1) will raise awareness and help save water during laundry which some do daily. “It’s a new technology product that reduces water usage by almost half,” she said.

“Also, we encourage people to shower [with a bucket in the shower] and reuse the water for gardening, instead of bathing; to not let the water running while washing hands and brushing teeth; collect and use rainwater; fix any leaks and not leave taps dripping.”

She added that the message would be spread nationally with road roadshows set for Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and most big and small towns.

The campaign includes television celebrity Ntokozo Dlamini aka Mastermind of SABC drama series Uzalo. “Only when people understand the importance of saving water will they be water wise and show solidarity with Capetonians who need support to avoid a catastrophe,” said Dlamini.

He added that a national survey showed that reducing time in the shower saved a lot of water. “Those who wash their vehicles daily can just wipe them or wash them once per week,” he said encouraging Alex car washers to also join the campaign.

Details: Unilever 0860 994 164