Ways Of Saving Water
Calculate your average rainwater harvesting potential by multiplying your property’s roof area in square meters, by your area’s average rainfall in millimetres by 0.9 which is the amount of total rainfall expected for harvesting.
Roof Area (m2) x Average Rainfall (mm) x 0.9 = Rain Harvesting Potential
Rooftops in urban areas calculate impressive volumes offering a viable solution in the conservation of waterthrough the harvesting of rainwater alongside various other water saving techniques.
The recent improvement in rainfall experienced in the first 2 months of 2016, in certain areas of South Africa, has brought with it hope amidst the impeding water supply crisis.
Although the increased rainfall is not enough to address the immediate supply crisis, it does help alleviate the pressure on the demand to the limited water supply, offering households the opportunity to assist in the preservation of waterthrough the re-purposing of rainwater
The collection and storage of harvested rainwater by means of an underground storage tank is one of the easiest ways to conserve water and put a natural supply of water to use.
Free from pollutants and manmade contaminants, harvested rainwater can be put to various uses by households, for agriculture and livestock.
5 ways to save water through implementing rainwater collection techniques and the repurposing of harvested rainwater include;
1. Harvested rainwater can be purified and used as drinking water as done by several rural establishments throughout SA.
2. Captured rainwater is ideally put to use for irrigation systems both on small scale household applications as well as on larger industrial and agricultural establishments.
3. Repurposed rainwater may be used as a primary source for the watering of livestock.
4. Overflow of harvested rainwater is ideal in replenishing groundwater supplies through artificial recharge techniques.
5. Collected rainwater, supported by complimentary installations can be used for the purpose for flushing toilets, the washing of dishes and laundry as well as topping up swimming pools.
The domestic use of water in a household of 2 people will use roughly 300 litres of water per day but with the conscious application of water conservation techniques individuals may be largely successful in saving water and reducing domestic water wastage.
By repurposing harvested rainwater for domestic use simply for the flushing of toilets, washing and laundry as well as irrigation systems, domestic households are able to reduce their water consumption by up to 70%
Facts about the ongoing water shortage and why it’s critical to look at ways of conserving water;
- 2015 saw the most severe effects of el Nino making this our worst drought in 23 years
- Meteorologists predict that the effects of el Nino will persist until March 2016
- KZN and the Free State have been declared a disaster area due to the water supply crisis
- A decline in Maize production down from 14.25 million tons in 2015 to an estimated 9.84 million in 2016
- 37% of our drinkable water, enough water to fill a third of the Gariep Dam is being lost due to leakage and waste due to theft
