Rand Water has warned that persistent high temperatures and the lack of rainfall is straining the bulk water supply not only in Gauteng but across the nation.
Rand Water spokesperson Justice Mohale said consumers must use water responsibly and sparingly as Rand Water will not be able to keep up the water supply in Gauteng if consumers don’t.
Johannesburg Water posted on Twitter “We are responsible for providing clean, safe drinking water to @CityofJoburgZA residents and for treating sewage and wastewater,” and “We urge our customers to continue the good work of saving water at home,work place and schools”.
Some tips on how to work sparingly with and save water:
- Do not leave the water running while shaving, brushing teeth or washing hands.
Depending on the washing basin and tap’s pressure, between 5 to 20 litres of water are wasted during this process per minute. Use a bowl of water to shave and close the tap while brushing teeth or washing hands and only open to rinse.
- Close taps tight to avoid dripping.
Dripping water might have a minor affect on an individual water bill but once various households are combined, the quantity of water wasted results in thousands of litres. Seal dripping mixers and ensure taps are closed tight.
- Do not run a full bath
If possible, avoid bathing completely and shower instead. A full bath requires at least 140 litres of water. Invest in a EcoSmart shower– some use as little as 18 litres of water.
- Do not flush the toilet unnecessarily
Surprisingly, a large portion of drinking water is used for flushing the toilet. Do not flush the toilet if not necessary, or install a flush/stop button or a dual flush system. Small flushes require only around 3 litres of water while a full flush requires double the amount. Around 8 000 litres of drinking water could be spared per person per year through this.
- Water flowers and plants at dusk
By watering flowers and plants at dusk less water evaporates. Watering lawns should also be done accordingly or be avoided completely. Generally lawns do not need watering, even brown grass will naturally turn green after getting the next shower of rain.
- Use a bucket of water instead of a hosepipe to wash the car
Thousands of litres of water are wasted while washing a car. Rather use a bucket of water while washing and only use the hose pipe to rinse the soap off afterwards.
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