Think of installing a water tank says Durban North resident

THE City recently implemented stage 3 nightly water shut-offs which means areas would be without water for 11 hours (from 7pm to 6am). Despite this, residents are still not taking the issue seriously. While the situation has not been ideal and in some cases downright frustrating, one resident is doing everything he can to save water.

Durban North resident, Johan van den Berg, who has three JoJo tanks says he has managed to save more than 40 000 litres of water over the past 15 years using storage tanks.

“I was raised on a farm so I’ve always been very water conscientious. I’ve got a 5 000 litre, a 2 000 litre and a 1 000 litre JoJo tanks . I’ve saved thousands of litres over the years thanks to the tanks. I use the water to wash my car, water my veggie garden and fill my pool. I think people, especially those in North Durban don’t understand how dire the situation is. People need to save as much as they can because if they fail to, we will be facing a full-blown crisis.

“I think people should invest in a Jojo tank. Just think of the reduction in the water bill when using rainwater and not expensive regulated water for daily household chores. But, more than saving money, your investment in a rainwater harvesting JoJo tank makes you a steward of water; not just a consumer. Collecting rainwater means you can keep a constant supply of water on hand to supplement and alleviate drought and other unintended water scarcities. It is very simple to install. You decide on the size of the tank you need to place near a gutter downpipe. Then you simply divert the downpipe directly into the tank,” he said.

Van den Berg said he would like to see the city council or Umgeni Water subsidise water tanks for domestic use.

“I also feel that it should be compulsory for RDP housing developments to have rain water harvesting tanks installed when they’re being built, especially like the new Cornubia housing project,” he said.