Save up to 400 litres a week – Water-wise living

Water tanks are making an appearance in gardens, especially in properties where there are no swimming pools! You need to have a back-up supply and also need to catch whatever rainwater you can. Shop around for the right tank.

If you want your tank to last you should place it on a sturdy base – water weighs a lot and if your tank is not on a solid base you are looking for problems.

• Check your placement. Are you going to run a feed into your house? If so, don’t place it too far away from your municipal pipe. Involve a registered plumber in this.

• You will also need a pump to get the tank water into your water supply. Invest in a good one and remember to have a back-up for when the power is off!

• You need to protect your tank a bit from the sun so some kind of roofing would work well!

• Invest in tanks that can be fitted to your gutter’s downpipes to catch all the rainwater. It’s amazing how
much water you can collect in a decent rainstorm.

This water can be used for flushing your toilet, watering your growing veggies (you’re going off the grid,
remember) and use that water to wash your car etc.

• Invest in a piping system for your garden whereby you can lead your washing machine, shower or bath
water into the garden to try to keep some of your garden going. Swimming pool pipes work well for this
and, with a connection or two, can be lead around the garden quite effectively.

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Great tips to save water by the Department of Water and Sanitation

• Turn the tap off between washing your face, brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Taking a five-minute shower a day, instead of a bath, will use a third of the water used bathing in a bath tub, saving up to 400 litres a week.
• Showering can use up to 20 litres of water per minute. If you prefer to bath, don’t fill up the bath tub.Taking a bath can use between 80 and 150 litres of water per bath. Use low-flow showerheads, dual-flush toilet mechanisms and water-efficient washing machines.
• Kettles should not be filled to the brim but with just enough water for your needs. This will reduce your electricity bill too.
• Don’t over-fill containers like cooking pots, as this may result in using more energy to heat the water.
• Reducing the toilet flush volume alone can save 20% of total water consumption. This can be done by putting a 2-litre cold drink bottle, filled with water and a little sand to add weight into the cistern. Fix a leaking toilet otherwise it can waste up to 100 000 litres of water in one year. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other waste in the trash rather than the toilet. Every time you flush the toilet, 12 litres of water is used.
• Use “grey water” – used water from baths, washing machines and other safe sources – to flush your toilet.
• Do not over-fill or excessively backwash your swimming pool.
• Use a bucket rather than a hose to wash your car. If you have to use a hose, use a sprayer that can be turned off in-between spraying the car. Using a garden hose could use as much as 30 litres of water per minute.
• Do not pour paint and chemicals down the drain.
• Farmers must ensure that they keep toxic insecticides away from water sources and streams.
• Factories should take care of how they discharge mercury and other heavy metals into waste water.
• People living in rural areas should be careful not to use the river or river bank as a toilet.