Johannesburg and other South African cities faced severe water shortages in 2024, and the new year won’t bring an immediate solution. By reducing reliance on municipal water, South Africans can save money and better withstand water crises.

According to water solutions company JoJo, households can use water tanks filled with rainwater, stored municipal water, or a combination of both to save water and reduce their bills.

Explore these options

• Municipal backup solution: This consists of a tank that is tied to the main water supply line and fills automatically when mains water is available. In the event of a water cut, this water can be pumped from the tank to your home. Pros: Clean, uninterrupted, pressured water feed for household use and consumption. 
• Rainwater harvesting solution: This option involves collecting rainwater. It requires the installation of a pre-filtration solution, suitable guttering, and piping to carry the rainwater to the tank. Pros: Simple to install, it decreases dependence on regulated water resources. Cons: Without additional filtration, the water is suitable only for household purposes such as irrigation, washing, and topping up the pool.
• Municipal and rainwater: A system that integrates rainwater harvesting and municipal water enables homeowners to fill their water tank with a pre-determined amount of municipal water to use in emergencies. The rest of the tank is for harvesting rainwater. Pros: The water is filtered and sterilised and can be used for drinking and domestic use.

If you are thinking of sinking a residential borehole, contact your municipality to find out what bylaw restrictions exist in your area. If the water from a borehole is used for domestic purposes, Department of Water and Sanitation registration is not required.

Don’t let grey water drain away

Wastewater from baths, showers, basins, and washing machines can be used to water gardens, wash cars and even wash floors and flush toilets.

It is suggested that biodegradable detergents be used to minimise environmental harm.

“Not all sources of household wastewater can be used for greywater harvesting. For example, water from toilets, dishwashers, or kitchen sinks should not be reused because they can contain harmful contaminants,” says Marc du Plessis, the executive head of LookSee.co.za, a Standard Bank platform that gives specialist water and electricity advice to homeowners.

LookSee says these greywater harvesting methods can be used:

• Direct reuse: Greywater is simply collected and reused immediately without any treatment. This can be done by diverting greywater from a washing machine or shower to a nearby plant or garden.
• Bucketing: This low-tech method involves manually collecting greywater in a bucket and carrying it to a garden or other outdoor area for reuse.
• Gravity-fed systems: These systems use gravity to move greywater from one location to another. For example, a simple system might use a hose to move greywater from a washing machine to a nearby garden.
• Pumped systems: While more complex, pumped systems ensure you have enough water pressure to get your water to where you want to use it.
• Treatment systems: Some homeowners choose to treat their greywater to remove harmful chemicals before reusing it. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as using a sand or gravel filter, a UV disinfection system, or a constructed wetland.

Remember: If greywater is stored for longer than 24 hours, it must be filtered and disinfected.

Invest in water-saving devices

Changing your taps, showerhead, and toilet flushing mechanisms to water-efficient devices is a smart move, says the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

• Dual flush toilets use around 3ℓ for a light flush and 6ℓ for a heavy flush, whereas old toilets use around 20ℓ a flush. If you can’t replace your old toilet system, put a brick in it to reduce water capacity.
• Modern showerheads use around 4ℓ a minute; old ones use around 9ℓ. 
• Modern basin taps use 1.8ℓ a minute, compared with the 6ℓ of older taps – and old kitchen taps use a whopping 9ℓ a minute. 
• When buying a washing machine, check how much water it uses. 

Did you know?

South Africa is one of the 30 most water-scarce countries in the world yet – our annual average rainfall is less than 500mm, while the global average is around 860mm. Yet, according to the Department of Water and Sanitation’s 2024/25 budget vote, our average consumption is 218ℓ per capita per day, compared with the international average of 173ℓ per capita per day.