The importance of conserving water
Yes, I know. It sounds like a government ad, but it has become an increasingly urgent issue in the area.
Each week it is pressed upon us more and more that we need to conserve water but is it really sinking in?
A veteran Lowvelder I spoke to a few months ago expressed his disgust at the way people were wasting water. He had seen water run down the streets due to people watering their gardens incorrectly, pipes not being fixed or taps not being closed properly.
His prediction was very ominous: “These people don’t know drought. We’re heading into one again and during the last, people had to queue for hours just to get drinking water. A woman left the queue to give birth and came back into the queue afterwards. With the way White River has grown since, I don’t think there’s going to be enough water for everyone.”
Twice in the last couple of months a sign at the gate of the estate I’m living in has warned residents to use water sparingly as the borehole can’t keep up with the supply. As a result, we cut down on watering our lawns, check that all taps are properly closed and did all the little things we could.
Experts have predicted that South Africa could have a water shortage as soon as 2020, which could have dire consequences on the population and, as a result, the economy.
Most of us don’t think twice about turning the tap, filling a glass and gulping the water down. But can you imagine if water had to be rationed or if we had to stand in the hot sun for hours just for 20 litres of water to keep our family hydrated?
Why not take a little extra trouble and see how you can save water. It may not seem like much but every drop conserved will someday be just what was needed to keep a dam filled.
