Here’s a suburban scene that makes my blood boil: someone using a garden hose to “sweep” a driveway. In fact, it’s not only in suburbia that you see this — I saw an employee of a top Rosebank hotel doing the same this morning.

We [...]]]> Article by: Sue Blaine
Source: Business Day Blogs

Here’s a suburban scene that makes my blood boil: someone using a garden hose to “sweep” a driveway. In fact, it’s not only in suburbia that you see this — I saw an employee of a top Rosebank hotel doing the same this morning.

We still use potable water to “sweep” driveways

Perhaps the reality is this: water is just not expensive enough in South Africa.

We have had endless government campaigns about saving electricity, but I have yet to see much, if anything, on saving water. We ignore water at our peril.

Poor-quality water “was of limited use and added to society’s economic burden through treatment costs and secondary impacts” on the economy, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research said in its a 2011 report on water in South Africa.

The country’s National Water Resource Strategy calls for “appropriate and timely corrective measures” to mitigate the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation on its water resources.

The CSIR report notes that in 2005, 95% of South Africa’s freshwater resources had already been allocated. The country’s average annual rainfall, at 450mm, is less than half the global average (850mm) and 10 of the water management areas in South Africa could not fulfil demand in 2000, according to the report.

South Africa is about to spent nearly R1bn fixing the Witwatersrand’s acid mine drainage problem, and there is the enormous additional problem of eutrophication — the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, to natural water through fertilisers or sewage. The most common symptom of eutrophication is an increase in microcystis — blue-green algae producing toxins that rob water bodies of oxygen, making water sterile. Since 2005, it has caused toxic cyanobacterial “blooms” every year in Gauteng’s Hartbeespoort, Roodeplaat, Klipvoor and Rietvlei dams and in KwaZulu-Natal’s Shongweni Dam, according to the Department of Water Affairs.

To add insult to injury, tap water in South Africa could be undrinkable in future. Already, some of the country’s tap water contains poisons.

Poor-quality water will negatively affect the economy, curbing the manufacturing sector directly and indirectly, says limnologist Bill Harding. Limnology is the study of freshwater bodies.

Despite Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa promising a turnaround in the parlous state of wastewater treatment almost two years ago, it does not appear much has been done to rectify an ever-worsening problem. The Department of Water Affairs is enormously understaffed.

The 2010 Green Drop (wastewater quality) report showed that only 32, or 3%, of South Africa’s estimated 850 wastewater treatment works complied with requirements for safe discharge. The report noted that only 449 of the works had been assessed, with the rest either ignoring, or being unable to comply with, the call to submit to scrutiny.

Only 32 (7%) complied with the Green Drop criteria after being measured for E coli bacteria, nitrates, phosphates, ammonia and other nasties.

The national Green Drop Programme was launched in 2008 and was meant to cover all wastewater treatment works to ensure they did not harm the water bodies into which they discharged their products.

I could go on, but I think the point is made. We do not have a lot of water. We are using almost all the water we have. We are “killing” a fair bit of our water, and still we use potable water to “sweep” driveways.

That’s just stupid.

Water is in the news again, but never has the situation been as dire as today.  Quite simply – Cape Town is out of water. Any new augmentation schemes are not sustainable.

The following are proposed non-sustainable [...]]]> By: Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor (Founder of Water Rhapsody Conservation Systems and winner of a WWF Green Trust Award)

Water is in the news again, but never has the situation been as dire as today.  Quite simply – Cape Town is out of water. Any new augmentation schemes are not sustainable.

The following are proposed non-sustainable schemes:

• Damming the Lourens River at Somerset West:  This will add less than one percent capacity to our beleaguered situation.  There are no more rivers that can possibly be dammed to provide any more water for Cape Town.
• Extracting water from the berg by pumping to the Voëlvlei Dam:  The well-respected head of the Freshwater Research Unit at UCT, Prof Jenny Day, commented that this was a “no-no”.  Already the salinity of the Lower Berg River is rising to unacceptable standards, and any further extraction will make this worse.  The situation of the Lower Breede River is equally parlous.
• Desalination of sea water:  this is not sustainable as it is too costly on any scale let alone on a large scale.  Costly because each kilolitre of water desalinated from sea water will cost more energy than we have got or we likely will get. Desalination costs eight kilowatt hours per kilolitre of desalinated water.  Further problems of desalination are that a super saline concentrate is returned back to sea, which turns valleys in the sea into a place where neither plants nor animals can survive.
• Pumping from the TMG (Table Mountain Aquifer):  Already we have seen deep boreholes dry up and collapse in this aquifer and any extraction from this aquifer will have a negative impact on the river systems as this is most likely where the recharge of the aquifer will come from.  These are the same rivers that are now dammed to extinction throughout the Western Cape.
• Recycling of sewerage effluent:  while this is to be supported, it must be understood that this will not be acceptable to some of our religious groups.  It should also be noted that our sewerage systems are in an unsafe condition, and we need some 6.6 billion Rand to upgrade and build new sewerage treatment works.  Here too energy plays a huge role, as 90% of the running cost of our sewerage treatment works is the energy cost of pumping water around the various treatment sewerage works.  At last check there was only 300 million on any long term budget for upgrading sewerage works.

Grey Water

Garden Rhapsody. A grey water solution by Water Rhapsody.

Director of DWA (Department of Water Affairs) Rashid Khan stresses the use of demand management as the way forward to use less water He also talks of the re-use of on site water but fails to mention “grey water” as a specific.

Grey water [water from baths, basins, shower and laundry] unnecessarily goes in the same pipeline as black water to be treated at sewerage treatment works. All grey water diverted from the sewer system and used for irrigation purposes means far less effluent to be treated.

All of our present problems of water supply would simply go away if everyone could simply use less water.  Halving one’s water demand is easily achievable by: (a) re-using grey water; either for irrigation purposes or toilet flushing; (b) minimizing toilet flushing with a device where the user takes control of the volume of flush and; (c) re-cycling swimming pool backwash water to the pool.

Furthermore there are now huge benefits of rainwater harvesting to supply whole households with rainwater for normal use i.e. for bath, shower, hand basins, laundry, toilet flushing etc.  This makes perfect sense if one considers that – of the water from dams that can be accounted for, 60% of water delivered to the Greater Cape Town area, is used in the home.

If grey water were to be re-used on a large scale we would see a reduction of up to 90% of effluent reaching our sewerage treatment works, saving huge sums of money and giving our sewerage treatment works spare capacity which they don’t have at the moment.

Water Tariffs

Water Tariffs are also set to rise dramatically as a tool to get water consumers to use less water.  The City of Cape Town has a monopoly on both the supply of water as well as the tariffs, except that one may now supply one’s own water by delivering rainwater harvested from roofs to one’s whole household during our winter rainy season.

On top of tariff hikes, water restrictions, etc. any further action by Cape Town, should we run out of water, would be to have water outages as a means to stem demand.   This was used recently in Beaufort West where they got outages for 36 hours at a time.  Making use of rainwater harvesting to supply one’s home would exempt the user from outages, as rainwater tanks double as an emergency feed of municipal water as well.

If there is any further proof that demand management could fix the water supply problems that are upon us, a Water Engineer of Cape Town – Dave Ramsay – stated about ten years ago, that when water restrictions are imposed, consumption comes down.  This should be enough to convince suppliers and users of water alike of the benefits of demand management.

However, he went on to say that once the water restrictions were lifted, demand rises again, but never to the level prior to the implementation of water restrictions.  This is perhaps because to stem demand, the City has historically restricted irrigation with municipal water, so to keep their gardens alive homeowners installed water saving devices, including devices to re-use grey water for irrigation purposes.

Edited by Saving Water

Capetonians could face stricter water restrictions as dam levels hit a four-year low.

Save good quality drinking water - use grey water for irrigation

Low-level restrictions are already in place including a ban [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 18 Nov 2011

Capetonians could face stricter water restrictions as dam levels hit a four-year low.

Save good quality drinking water - use grey water for irrigation

Low-level restrictions are already in place including a ban on watering gardens between 10am and 4pm.

Adding to the low dam levels, rainfall this year has also been below average.

A UCT climatologist said of the past 10 months, eight had had below-average rainfall. May, June and July, usually the wettest months, were “drier than normal”.

Climate models showed this situation was likely to become more common in the years ahead and it could drive up the price of water.

Residents were being urged to conserve water. This appeal comes as climate change is expected to lead to rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns.

The City of Cape Town’s water department was due to meet the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry on Wednesday but has not released any details.

The city’s draft annual report says 19 percent of water was “unaccounted for”. This term refers to the difference in the amount of water purchased and in the city’s distribution system, compared with the amount which is sold to customers.

The report for the past financial year calls for measures to prepare for a “water-constrained future”. Some of the alternatives are desalination of sea water and the greater use of groundwater.

According to the draft report, some water-saving techniques are showing results. One of these is a pressure-management system which reduces the pressure of the water supplied to city consumers during off-peak periods.

This results in fewer leaks. A project like this at Brown’s Farm in Philippi produced an estimated saving of R8.2 million annually. After the project was introduced, there was an immediate drop in consumption.

Levels of the six major dams supplying Cape Town are at the lowest they have been in four years. On November 7, levels stood at 86 percent. Last year at this time they were at 93 percent and at 102 percent in 2009. Levels peaked in 2008 at 103 percent and were 99 percent in 2007.

Farouk Robertson, spokesman for the city’s water and sanitation department, said the city had “never relaxed” its appeal for residents to use water wisely.

Robertson said the city had expanded rapidly over the past few years and economic activity had increased.

This had led to more water consumption.

He urged residents to “amplify water conservation efforts”.

One tip was that residents should monitor the moisture of the soil in their gardens and, if necessary, introduce composts which would reduce the evaporation of water.

Another measure was to use buckets to wash cars, instead of hosepipes.

Robertson appealed to home-owners to watch their water meters and report leaks immediately.

“If you are wasting water, you are depriving other people of good quality drinking water. Know what you going to do, before you open the tap,” he said.

Peter Johnston, a climatologist with UCT’s Climate Systems Analysis Group, said for May, June and July, rainfall was less than 80 percent of the long-term average.

Johnston added that as December approached and it got hotter, around 1 percent of the volume of dam water would be used or lost due to evaporation each day. Because, November had been cooler, it had lessened the impact of evaporation.

“This is the sort of thing we can expect. We should get used to this scenario occurring more often and it’s a call for all us to watch our demand and usage.”

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry was not immediately available for comment.

By: Bronwynne Jooste
Source: iol

Rainwater harvesting should be made compulsory in all urban areas, the Agriculture Research Council said on Monday.

5000 litre tank used to supply home with harvested rainwater

“The majority of people are not [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 17 Nov 2011

Rainwater harvesting should be made compulsory in all urban areas, the Agriculture Research Council said on Monday.

5000 litre tank used to supply home with harvested rainwater

“The majority of people are not doing enough (to combat climate change),” said CEO Shadrack Moephuli.

“People are still using tap water for their lawns and swimming pools. But they don’t cover their pools to prevent evaporation.”

Moephuli spoke in Pretoria at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research’s conference on water and food.

He said if urban dwellers were forced to harvest and store the rain water from their roofs, it would reduce pressure on the country’s water resources.

“It takes very little effort to harvest water,” he said.

He also advocated stiffer penalties for the water wastage.

Delegates to the conference, which ends on Thursday, heard the Limpopo River basin was expected to face diminished rainfall and higher temperatures as a result of climate change.

The basin is home to some 14 million people in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Moephuli said re-using partially treated waste water for agricultural purposes should be considered.

There needed to be a long-term strategy to manage the regions water resources and ensure it was not wasted.

He said a greater effort was needed by local authorities to ensure that leaking plumbing did not contribute to the loss of water.

- Sapa

The City of Cape Town has warned its residents they are likely to face water restrictions in the coming 12 months after poor rainfalls this year.

Mayoral committee member for utility services Shehaam Sims [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 14 Nov 2011

The City of Cape Town has warned its residents they are likely to face water restrictions in the coming 12 months after poor rainfalls this year.

Mayoral committee member for utility services Shehaam Sims said people in and around the city would have to carefully control how much water they used in the coming dry season.

“We had good rains this year, but they came mostly out of the wet season when the temperatures had warmed up,” Sims said.

“There was a lot of evaporation as a result and now the Western Cape dams are at 86 percent capacity, compared to 93 percent last year.”

Sims said Capetonians tended to use up every drop of water allocated to them by the water affairs department. A meeting between the city, the department and other water bodies would be held next week to decide on whether to impose summer water restrictions or not.

“Last year we were allocated a capacity of 1090 megalitres per day,” Sims said.

“Cape Town uses about 920 megalitres. We are quite close to the allocation.”

Sims said residents in the city should try to save water by reducing their shower time, only flush toilets when necessary and repairing leaks. She asked people to report leaks in public areas to the city on 0860-103-089.

- Sapa

Agricultural methods need to be radically overhauled to ensure food production rises to meet increasing demand but that water resources are not depleted further by doing so, research showed on Monday.

An average [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 05 Sep 2011

Agricultural methods need to be radically overhauled to ensure food production rises to meet increasing demand but that water resources are not depleted further by doing so, research showed on Monday.

An average 2,000-3,000 litres of water per day is needed to produce food per person

A radical overhaul of agriculture could create farms that enhance, rather than degrade, the world’s ecosystems, said a report led by the United Nations’ Environment Programme and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

“Managing water for food and ecosystems will bring great benefits, but there is no escaping the urgency of the situation,” said David Molden, deputy director general for research at IWMI.

“We are heading for disaster if we don’t change our practices from business as usual,” he added.

Water limits are close to being “reached or being breached” in areas such as northern China, India’s Punjab and western United States, said the report, entitled ‘An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security’.

It warns that the number of people living in conditions of water scarcity could rise to 2 billion from 1.6 billion if the intensification of agriculture is not changed.

“People underestimate the amount of water used to make food. An average 2,000-3,000 litres per day is needed to produce food per person, compared to 200-300 litres for household use per day,” Molden told Reuters.

“On a global scale, we are likely to produce (enough) food but that doesn’t solve the environmental problems and locally, we are already seeing the crunch.”

The world’s population is forecast to rise to over 9 billion by 2050 from its current 6.9 billion, putting more strain on resources.

“We need to double food production if population goes up by a third, because people eat more meat and vegetables. And if we don’t change water practices, we need to find 70% more water,” Molden said.

To achieve both food and environmental security, governments need to provide incentives to farmers to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices, he added.

Farmers need to think about their business as more than just food production, while consumers need to demand good agricultural methods.

There are many opportunities to use trees on dry-land farms to intensify the amount of food produced per hectare of land while improving the local ecosystem, the report found.

By integrating trees and hedgerows, farmers can prevent runoff and soil erosion and preserve more water for feeding their crops.

Last month, a separate UN report said a sharp move away from large-scale, intensive systems of agriculture was essential if growing environmental and land degradation was to be halted.

Source: Moneycontrol.com

With the international community poised to arrive in South Africa for the UNFCCC’s 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) climate change talks in Durban in December 2011, the Green Building Council of South [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 26 Aug 2011

With the international community poised to arrive in South Africa for the UNFCCC’s 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) climate change talks in Durban in December 2011, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is urging South African industry, business and government to work together to achieve the mitigation potential offered by greening our built environment, and thereby set an example for the rest of the world.

Water tanks store harvested rainwater for use at False Bay Ecology Centre.

“Worldwide, buildings are responsible for about a third of all carbon emissions,” says Bruce Kerswill, Executive Chair of the GBCSA.  “Consider that this translates to one in every three tons of carbon released into the atmosphere is from buildings – so the built environment has a major role to play in climate change.”

At the previous climate talks in Cancun, Mexico (COP 16) in 2010, South Africa  committed to reducing our carbon emissions by 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025. Given that we are heavily reliant on coal for our electricity, one of the fastest and easiest ways to reduce our emissions is through the greening of our built environment (our homes, offices, shops, etc).

In fact global experts have recognised the potential reductions in emissions from the built environment through green buildings as a “low hanging fruit” of carbon emission mitigation – a relatively quick and easy way to turn things around with readily available tools and technologies.

What the GBCSA has done so far – a few examples

“The GBCSA is working hard to develop and provide the tools to facilitate necessary change in the built environment in South Africa.  We are also focusing on knowledge sharing and training of professionals within the property industry that can help take green building forward,” says Kerswill.

“Since the launch of  the Green Star SA rating tools for buildings, the GBCSA has awarded ratings to  a total of five buildings in South Africa, the latest being the new Aurecon office building in Century City in Cape Town, which was the first in the country to achieve a 5-Star Green Star SA rating.  We have also had applications for ratings from over 30other developments countrywide – showing that South Africa is ready for a shift to green building and that, the change is well under way.”

The Green Star SA tools are designed for use by owners, developers and consultants (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, building contractors etc.) to influence the design of buildings. The tool enables these stakeholders to minimise the environmental impacts of their developments, and to receive recognition against an objective standard for their efforts.

Critically, 25% of the credits available in the Green Star SA system address energy efficiency and carbon emissions. With a 4-star Green Star SA building reducing energy consumption by at least 30%, use of these rating tools has an immediate impact on reducing energy usage and carbon emissions.

“With the world on our doorstep watching to see what SA is doing in preparation for COP 17, and to meet our reduction commitments, the GBCSA is striving to turn policy targets into practice and to provide a common link between all the players in South Africa’s commercial property industry and the public building sector.”

The GBCSA is also developing rating tools for the many types of government-owned buildings.  In fact the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), an agency of the Department of Public works (DPW), is contributing towards funding their latest rating tool, the Green Star SA – Public Building Rating Tool, which is due for PILOT release in October 2011.

Kerswill also notes that the GBCSA is currently working on an Energy and Water Benchmarking Tool and Certification Scheme which will assist with and guide the industry on the essential energy and water retrofitting of existing buildings in South Africa.

With South Africa’s history of cheap and plentiful energy, buildings have not focused on measuring and monitoring energy usage in the past. In addition to this, energy benchmarks for buildings have not yet been established so in most cases in SA, owners are unable to tell whether their buildings are energy efficient or not.

This tool will enable portfolio owners to measure energy usage, compare performance to industry benchmarks and ultimately take action to improve energy efficiency and carbon footprint of their buildings.

“This is an exciting project that we are currently developing and one that will be widely used by property portfolio owners. The retrofitting of existing buildings for energy efficiency is absolutely essential if South Africa is to meet our promised carbon emissions reductions by 2020.”

Furthermore, the GBCSA is currently developing a Green Leasing Guide in conjunction with SAPOA. This publication will contain recommendations and guidelines that will allow owners and occupiers of buildings to establish green leases – the future of lease agreements in South Africa that lay out certain contractual lease obligations between a landlord and a tenant of a building that require or encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly practices, of which energy will be a key factor to be targeted.

“So as can be seen, the Green Building Council of South Africa is changing the way South Africa is built and we are calling on others to join the GBCSA in showing the world, in the build up to COP 17, that South Africa can and is being  changed,” concludes Kerswill.

Source: SA commercial prop news

It’s not only businesses and public entities that should assume the responsibility of saving water, but homeowners can play a major role as well.

A Cape Town school recently installed a Water Rhapsody [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 25 Aug 2011

It’s not only businesses and public entities that should assume the responsibility of saving water, but homeowners can play a major role as well.

A Cape Town school recently installed a Water Rhapsody Poolside Tank to recycle up to 15000 litres of swimming pool backwash water every week; sending the clarified water safely back to the pool.

CEO of car rental company Avis, Wayne Duvenage, did not mince his words at the Sustainable Water Resource Conference and Exhibition; attended by leading water experts and business people.

Recycling water for reuse in buildings was the experts’ principal recommendation. Homeowners are also advised to go for recycling technologies.

Avis saved 75-million litres of water in 2010 in its major centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Harvesting rainwater is a focus of Avis’ recycling efforts. “You know how much it rains in Cape Town, so it’s nice to switch off municipal water and use rainwater,” said Duvenage.

South Africa is water-stressed, experts at the conference revealed. Reports have pointed out that the country runs the risk of facing critical shortages by 2020.

“South Africa is stressed both in the quantity and quantity of water that we have,” Duvenage said.

Alison Groves, a sustainability consultant at WSP Green by Design, said: “In South Africa we need to get beyond the idea that water is always going to be available.”

New solutions are needed to sustain potable water availability, Groves added.

Banking group Absa’s headquarters in downtown Johannesburg have been fitted with recycling and rainwater harvesting technology that allows it to save at least 43 000 litres of water every day.

Retailer Woolworths’ distribution centre in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, is another facility with a large grey water reclamation system. Groves pointed out that the centre has “irrigation ensured for 10 months per year without using potable water”.

The grey water technology of Cape Town-based Water Rhapsody, a specialist water conservation company, has proven its efficiency in recent years.

Its founder Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor said that water recycled and harvested through its system is suitable for irrigation, toilet flushing, cleaning and washing.

Homes can reduce consumption from 280 litres to “as little as 100 litres per day” and save up to 90% of their municipal water bill by using the system.

“But it’s done in such a way that you don’t change your lifestyle. You just take control of your own supply,” said Westgarth-Taylor.

Water Rhapsody won the WWF Green Trust award in 1998 for product innovation. It’s helped the University of Cape Town reduce potable water consumption by over 90%.

The late Kader Asmal, former Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, told Water Rhapsody, in a 2010 letter to the company, that its water recycling system helped nourish grass and shrubs in the garden of his Cape Town home.

By Bongani Nkosi
Edited by Admin

With water, and electricity being the most vital ‘ingredients’ in ones life, waste still stands out as a killer source.

Johannesburg landfills are filling up rapidly

The City of Joburg (CoJ) has implemented [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 20 Aug 2011

With water, and electricity being the most vital ‘ingredients’ in ones life, waste still stands out as a killer source.

Johannesburg landfills are filling up rapidly

The City of Joburg (CoJ) has implemented the 2040 Growth and Development Strategy outreach programme which is taking place this week. Water, waste and electricity are the key topics expected to dominate the conversations during the programme.

Conversations around these will be held through seminars and round table discussions involving everyone from residents and businesses to the government, civil society organisations, labour and academics.

“Formal and informal debates will take place with the aim of finding solutions to safeguard our precious resources for future generations,” said Gugu Mathibela of the City of Johannesburg.

An abundance of coal has kept electricity prices very low and has attracted a number of energy intensive industries. City Power and Eskom recently experienced protests related to power cuts, prepaid meters and the increase in electricity prices. These incidents give electricity first preference at the discussions.

Johannesburg’s resource intensity is also defined by the volume of waste it generates. The city is gradually running out of landfill space. Waste dumping in communities has become a serious health concern.

Mathibela said: “With regard to waste management, the City has introduced a refuse recycling project in north-western Johannesburg with the aim of reducing the volume of waste going to land fill sites. These landfills are filling up rapidly, meaning that new landfills need to be found.”

Another critical issue to be addressed is water, Mathibela said. How Johannesburg manages its water supply is of crucial importance to South Africa because Johannesburg contributes over a third of the country’s gross domestic product. She adds that, the CoJ is one of only few major cities in the world that is not located near a natural water source such as a lake, river or the sea.

Recent studies from the University of Johannesburg have proved the safety and reliability of household water. There are three strategic issues which affect water in Johannesburg; water supply, water demand and water quality. To ensure that the City conserves its water, it has implemented water demand management measures. Some of the measures to be considered for the future will be rainwater harvesting; grey water reuse and exploring alternative resources such as ground water abstraction.

“It is however important that households start using water responsibly. To enhance this message the City will commence with consumer demand management programmes which will include raising awareness around the importance of saving water,” said Mathibela.

By: Keabetsoe Matshediso
Source: IOL

Cape Town may be subjected to water restrictions this summer because August and September are likely to be drier than usual, a climate researcher has warned.

Predicted below average rainfall will bring water [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 17 Aug 2011

Cape Town may be subjected to water restrictions this summer because August and September are likely to be drier than usual, a climate researcher has warned.

Predicted below average rainfall will bring water restrictions

Peter Johnston, of UCT’s Climate Systems Analysis Group, said there was no need for desperate concern just yet – but this could change if no more winter rain fell.

Traditionally, the province’s dams are full in August and September. However, Johnston said, after the driest July in years, and with below average rainfall predicted for this and next month, water restrictions could become necessary.

The provincial government has urged farmers to store water for the summer months.

Johnston’s colleague, Mark Tadross, said a high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean was keeping storms away from the Western Cape. “We don’t know why (this is happening),” said Tadross. “Of concern is that the dams are well below what they should be (at) this time of the year.”

The regional manager for weather services in the Western and Northern Cape, Antarctica and islands, Johan Stander, said the forecast was dry for the next couple of months. “Because of climate change, adverse conditions will happen more frequently and storms will be more severe.”

Wouter Kriel, the spokesman for Agriculture, and Rural Development MEC Gerrit van Rensburg said:

“We are monitoring the rainfall, but there are no red flags yet. We are advising farmers to fill up their water storage facilities.”

Source: IOL