It has been close to a month since water restrictions were implemented in Ladysmith due to lack of rainfall. Despite this weekend’s rainfall, there is no end in sight for water restrictions, say uThukela.
Each household has been limited to 600 litres daily. In addition to this, there are strict repercussions in place for the washing of cars, watering of gardens and filling of swimming pools.
To help you through this period of conserving water and utilising it well, here are some easy tips.
We basically use water in the household for: household chores and personal hygiene.
Household chores include activities such as cooking and cleaning, which use large amounts of water.
- With regard to washing dishes, a good way of saving water is to clean, scrape or wipe plates before washing them. This way, no water is needed to rinse them before being soaped.
- When opening the tap for hot water, make sure you have a bowl or bucket to store the cold water that is running, instead of letting it run down the drain.
- Using a kettle uses lots of electricity and water – make sure you only fill the kettle with as much water as you need.
- Recycle ice you have used to cool water or cool-drinks. You can dispose of the remaining chunks in the garden for your plants.
- Ensure that all leaking taps are fixed timeously.
- Water that been used to boil vegetables or even pasta can be reused for watering in your garden.
With regard to personal hygiene, water is used continuously. Showering, brushing our teeth and washing hands are just some of the ways we use water daily in terms of our personal hygiene.
- Flush the toilet only when necessary.
- While brushing your teeth, ensure that the water is off and only open the tap when it’s time for you to rinse your mouth out.
- When stepping into the shower, do not let the water run while you wait for it to get hot. Keep a bucket in your bathroom and re-use the water collected.
- Shower instead of having a bath. While shampooing your hair, the water should be off until you need to rinse.
