The findings of these reports are shocking, but will go a long way towards helping government, manufacturers and individuals to tackle this problem.
The resulting report is called Scenarios for the Future of Water in South Africa
The highlights include the possible realities of water availability in 2030, and if things keep going the way they currently are, South Africa is expected to face a water deficit of 17 percent.
The major water users in South Africa are agriculture and the municipal and industrial sector. Agriculture uses 63 percent, while the industrial sector uses 11 percent of water supply. The remaining 26 percent goes towards gardening, toilets and personal hygiene.
As water is a shared resource, everyone is at risk, which is why we include our top 5 water saving tips:
- Check for leaky pipes or taps in and around the home. Replacement parts are easy to come by and dirt cheap. In addition to physically checking every tap/pipe/outlet, keep an eye on the water meter before you leave the house for a few hours. With nobody at home, the meter shouldn’t move. If it reads higher than it was, there’s a good chance there’s a leak somewhere.
- Put a 5cm layer of sand or pebbles in the toilet tank. It seems insignificant, but it could save a few litres per day.
- A toilet leak can waste litres of water per day. The easiest way to check for a leak is to add a small amount of food colouring to the tank to see if it seeps through to the bowl.
- Only wash the clothes and dishes when the washer is full. Washing the dishes after each and every meal wastes an awful lot of water.
- Water-saving shower heads are inexpensive and easy to install.
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