Water Wise Watch - November 2024
11.11.24
SAVE WATER NOW – SUPPORT THE LESOTHO HIGHLANDS MAINTENANCE EFFORT!
As you might have heard, the vital and planned maintenance work of the transfer and delivery tunnels of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) has commenced from 01 October 2024 – 31 March 2025. This exercise will ensure the continued flow of water to the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), from which millions of South Africans rely on as a daily source of water.
Over 780 million cm3 (cubic meters) of water is transferred annually from the LHWP to the IVRS, from which Rand Water extracts water to supply its customers. However, during the six-month maintenance period, water delivery will be temporarily reduced by 80 million cm3 (cubic meters). The Department of Water and Sanitation has assured Rand Water that the maintenance will have insignificant impact on the overall IVRS, as dams like Sterkfontein and others are currently full. However, Rand Water urges its customers to adopt water conservation practices that will help curb the ongoing high-water consumption and encourage the responsible use of water.
Here are some ways you can help conserve water everyday:
- Fix Leaks Quickly: A constantly dripping faucet or a leaking toilet can result in an average daily water wastage of 30 to 60 litres. Ensure that all household leaks are repaired immediately.
- Shorten Your Showers: Reduce shower time to 5 minutes or less. This small change can save up to 80 - 100 litres per person per week!
- Install Water-Saving Devices: Low-flow showerheads, faucets, and dual-flush toilets reduce water usage by up to 50%.
- Reuse Greywater: The use of greywater provides us with an opportunity to use an average of approximately 35 – 234 litres (per person per day, depending on lifestyles) of greywater which can be repurposed for garden irrigation or toilet flushing where little human contact is achieved.
- Full Loads Only: Always run dishwashers and washing machines with full loads to maximize water efficiency.
- Sweep, Don’t Spray: Use a broom, not a hosepipe, to clean outdoor areas like driveways and sidewalks.
- Watering Times: Water your garden in the early morning before 06:00 am or in the evening after 18:00 pm as this reduces water lost to evaporation.
- Cover your Pool: The use of a pool cover can reduce water lost to evaporation by 70 - 95%, depending on the material used. Off the 14 400 litres we could potentially use without a cover, we could now save between 10 080 - 13 680 litres.
Since water is essential to life, it is our collective duty to safeguard it. We can lessen the burden on our resources, protect future supply, and maintain our prosperity as a country that prioritizes conservation with your assistance.
Together, we can make every drop matter!
Always be #WaterWise
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Traditional Water Responses
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World Mental Health Day
On 10 October 2024, Rand Water-Water Wise team joined the Gauteng Provincial Government Employee Health and Wellness Unit to commemorate World Mental Health Day. This gathering gave GPG employees from all departments in Gauteng, other interested parties, a chance to discuss more initiatives that could be implemented to assist in making mental health care a reality in workplaces. One of the important topics that was highlighted as being advantageous to mental health was vegetable gardening. The Water Wise team provided information (pamphlets, brochures and seeds) on how one can go about starting their own Water Wise vegetable food gardens whilst saving water.
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in water without soil. The water must be enriched with nutrients and the plants need some type of inert medium to support the root system. For example, the roots of the plant may grow directly into a liquid solution or, in the case of an aggregate system, into a material like sand, peat moss, or clay pebbles, depending on the type of hydroponic system being utilized. In this manner, the grower may regulate the plant's exposure to nutrients and environmental factors including temperature and pH balance
Advantages – Why Use Hydroponics?
- Faster Growth: Plants get everything they need all the time, so they do not waste time or energy growing a lot of roots or searching for nutrients allowing them to grow faster.
- No Weeds/Reduced Pests: Gardening without soil eliminates weeds so you do not need weed sprays. Since most pests live and breed in the soil, there’s usually no need to use pesticides or other toxic pest control chemicals.
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