Working with water
An important first step is to find out where your water mains stopcock is so that you can turn off your water supply if necessary. Think of the stopcock as the main tap to your whole house. When you shut it off the water from the mains pipes will be shut off and water will stop flowing into your house.
When you close a stopcock you may hear a slamming or banging noise in your water pipes. This is called a ‘water hammer’ and is caused by the sudden change of water flow and water pressure surges, which make the pipes vibrate. With time, this can loosen brackets holding the pipes and increase the likelihood of leaks, and so closing a stopcock should only be done when really necessary (such as when fixing a leak).
Drips and water wastage
A dripping tap may waste between 30 to 60 litres of water every day; if a tap is dripping at a rate of 1 drop per second, you could be wasting up to 10,220 Litres per year! If your water bill seems particularly high – higher than what you would expect from your water audit – check your home for leaks. Taps, showerheads and geyser overflow pipes may be dripping. An unnatural green patch in the garden may indicate a leak in one of your underground pipes. This can also be a major source of water loss. Information on finding and fixing leaks around your home is provided in each of the following sections.
In terms of the new City Water By-law it is illegal to permit pipes or water fittings to leak (Water By-law, Ch 3, Section 42 (1)).
What is needed to repair a leak?
adjustable jaw pliers
a vice grip
a 200 mm shifting spanner
a fat-point screw driver; and
some knowledge and confidence in your DIY skills!
Note: Before repairing a leak, close the stopcock in the main water supply pipe to your house. This is usually near to your water meter. After the leak is fixed, open the stopcock again, slowly.
Checking for underground leaks
Look out for unnatural green spots in the garden. This is often a sign of a leak in an underground pipe. Where the water meter is located under cover on the municipality’s footway, (outside the property) the municipality will repair the pipe on the outlet side of the meter up to the boundary of the premises. The owner is liable for repairs on his/her side of the boundary. Where the meter is located on the property (on lot), the municipality will repair the pipe up to the inlet side of the meter.
The owner must ensure access to this pipe and meter at all times, as prescribed in the by-law. From the outlet of the meter onwards, the owner is responsible for the maintenance of the plumbing installation.
Simple test to check for underground leaks
Get all household members to stop using any water while you are doing this test. Wait 30 minutes after water usage has stopped before beginning the test. Note that water must not be used for the full hour it takes to do the test.
Record the meter reading.
Check your water meter to see whether water is flowing through the meter. If you have an inferential water meter you will be able to see if the star wheel is turning. If the wheel is turning, you may have a leak in your piping system.
If your meter is volumetric, the red digit on the extreme right of the counter, (registering in 1/10 of a litre) is very sensitive to flow of water through the meter, and could indicate that there is a leak, by rolling over to the next digit. Some Municipalities lock new water meters – you can ask them for a key. However, it should be noted that some models of the volumetric meter only have 3 red digits instead of the 4 shown in the photo. In such instances the red digit on the extreme right registers in 1 litre increments, and is therefore not as sensitive to flow as a meter with a fourth red digit, registering in 1/10 of a litre.
To confirm that there is a leak, record the meter reading one hour after your first reading. It is important that nobody has used water in the house during this time, or the test will be invalid.
Subtract the first reading from this final reading. This will tell you how much water is leaking every hour.
If you find an underground leak
Call a plumber to repair the leak. If pipes need to be replaced, ask for a corrosion-resistant pipe (for example high-density polyethylene).
Note that pipes conveying water from the municipality’s main should not be encased in, or laid under concrete foors, as stipulated in the by-laws.
Toilet Leaks
Toilets are one the most common sources of leaks in the home, and usually go unnoticed because the leaks are often silent and out of view. Several research studies have found 20% to 35% of all residential toilets leak to some degree. Large toilet leaks can be detected when the valve constantly emits a hissing or gurgling sound when the toilet is not in use.
To begin looking for leaks remove the tank lid and inspect the flush mechanisms. The water level in the tank should be no higher than 1 inch below the top of the overflow tube. If the water level is to the very top of the overflow tube, water is slowly leaking into the overflow tube and down the drain. The problem has one of three causes: 1) the water level is adjusted too high; 2) the float is damaged and not shutting off the refill valve; or, 3) the refill valve (ball-cock assembly) is worn and needs replacement.
Toilets – saving water
The amount of water used by your toilet can easily be reduced with good maintenance and simple water saving initiatives. Older toilet cisterns with a syphon-flushing system hold between 9 litres and 12 litres of water. Modern toilet cisterns hold about 6 litres of water.
Converting your toilet to a multi-flush (which flushes for as long as the handle is held down) or dual-flush system (long and short flush) can result in savings of up to 20% on your water bill. You can also reduce your cistern volume by placing a bottle or bag that displaces the water into your cistern.
In terms of the City’s new Water By-law, a water closet (toilet) cistern may not exceed 9,5 litres in capacity (Water By-law Schedule 2, Water DemandManagement).
Dual flush
To install a dual-flush system a new dual-flush toilet cistern must be installed. This costs in the region of R1 500 for the entire system. Dual-flush systems require higher levels of maintenance than the multi-flush system.
Multi flush (interruptible flush)
This is a simple system that lets you control the flush volume. As soon as you let go of the toilet handle, it will stop flushing. This will save you more than 50% of flushing volume.
An existing toilet can be retrofitted with a multi-flush system. Approximate cost: R60 – R450.
Plastic bottle or ’hippo bag’
Placing a plastic bottle or ’hippo bag’ into your cistern will reduce the amount of water per flush at little to no cost. A hippo bag costs approximately R17.
The container, or bag, should ideally be placed under the ball. If using a plastic bottle container to reduce the water flow, you will need to make a drainage hole on either side of the container, mid-way up, so that the water stored in the container (that takes up space) does not become stagnant. The bottle will need to be weighted down to stop it floating.
Baths, showers, geysers, taps and washing machines
Baths and showers
In terms of the City’s new Water By-law the maximum flow rate from any showerhead may not exceed 10 litres per minute (Water By-law Schedule 2, Water Demand Management).
An average bath holds between 150 and 200 litres of water. The average shower uses about 22 litres of water each minute. ’Low-flow’ showerheads are available that deliver less than half this amount per minute.
Under pressure, low-flow showerheads restrict the amount of water that flows out of a showerhead. Water travels through an opening of about 5 mm and is forced into a small turbulence chamber where it is broken up into millions of tiny droplets. This saves up to 50% of water – and also reduces water heating electricity consumption.
Various low-flow showerhead models and brands are available on the market, saving between 30 and 50% of shower water use. Note: 600 kPa geyser pressure is generally needed for these showerheads to work. Low-flow showerheads can cost between R70,00 and R350,00.
When showering however, it must be bourne in mind that if you still shower for ten minutes, then you are not saving water. Remember that the lower the flow and the shorter the shower, the more water will be saved.
Geysers
As with toilet cisterns, geysers also have an overflow pipe to prevent flooding. It is normal for water to drip from the overflow (or drain) pipe that is connected to an expansion relief valve. When heated water expands, a small amount is released through this valve.
The drip should, however, stop when the temperature of the heated water stabilises. This normal drip could continue for an hour or more. Up to two litres of water can flow out of this overflow pipe each day. This can be collected and reused on your garden plants!
If there is a continuous drip or flow from the overflow pipe or the expansion relief valve and the amount of water collected from here is more than two litres a day, there is a leak.
Owing to the complexity and possible difficulty of fixing leaking geysers, it is best that you call a qualifed plumber to fix the problem.
Taps
Tap aerators can be fitted onto bathroom and kitchen taps, reducing normal tap flow from around 20 or 30 litres per minute, much of which is wasted, to a more sensible 6 to 10 litres. These low-flow devices basically work by channelling water through a small screen that is screwed onto tap openings. Water is restricted through a 5 mm opening and air bubbles are added for a pleasant, splash-free, bubbly stream of water. Water-flow from your tap can be reduced by 50% to 75%, while the water pressure remains the same.
Tap aerators should screw on easily. However, not all taps can be fitted with aerators as they may not be threaded. The dual thread fits both male and female standard threaded taps. Although most taps today have a standard thread, older taps may require thread adapters for easy attachment of water-saving products.
These are available. Check what water pressure (kPa) is needed for the products to work effectively. In terms of the City’s new Water By-law the maximum flow rate from any tap installed in a wash hand basin may not exceed six litres per minute (Water By-law Schedule 2, Water Demand Management).
A tap aerator’s approximate cost is R35,00.
Dishwashers and washing machines
Making smart choices when buying a new household item can have a large impact on your water (and energy) use. Look for water and energy-efficient products.
Dishwashers use on average 40 to 75 litres of water per wash, but very efficient machines can use as little as 13 litres. These will also use less electricity as there is less water to heat. Machines with rapid (for lightly soiled dishes) or half-load washes will reduce water consumption by 37% and energy use by 29%.
Washing machines on average use 150 litres per wash. High-efficiency washing machines use about 30% less water and 40% to 50% less electricity. Look for machines that consume between 37 to 45 litres of water per wash. Again, less hot water means less electricity is used.
Note, however, that high water efifcient machines will need a higher concentration of detergent and unless alternative soaps are used, this is not good for grey water system use.
General tips
Front loaders are generally more efficient than top loaders (water- and power-wise).
Any wash cycle using a temperature setting of over 60 degrees is wasting enormous amounts of electricity.
A quick/rapid wash and half-load options both help to save water when doing lighter loads.
Always run washing machines and dishwashers with a full load.
Swimming pools
It takes 32,5 billion litres of water to fill the estimated 650 00 swimming pools in South Africa. During hot weather, pool levels naturally drop 0,5 cm to 1 cm a day. Pool covers reduce evaporation by up to 90%, saving the water you would use to top up your pool levels. Plastic for pool covers costs approximately R40,00 to R50,00 a square metre. Sophisticated automatic roll-up stations and related accessories will cost more than R2 000,00. The more you need to top up your pool, the higher your bill will be.
Leaking pools can result in unnecessary water loss. Look for cracks inside the pool or an area of abnormally green grass. Better still, record how often you need to top-up your pool (this will be more regularly in summer). If the level of your pool drops by more than 5 cm to 6 cm a week, you probably have a leak.
In terms of the City’s new Water By-law automatic top up systems using a float valve fed from a potable water source to supply swimming pools and garden ponds is not allowed (Water By-law Schedule 2, Water Demand Management).
