TIMES they are certainly a-changin’ from the days of family and friends knocking on the door for a cup of sugar.
Now they pull in for a shower.
Some of us were lucky to have a steady supply of water last weekend and who would be so cruel as to turn one’s many less fortunate mates away, in spite of their bad body odour?
However, Ugu, please don’t jump to conclusions when (or if) you take water readings this month.
The level of my green swimming pool is still below the weir, my car is still dirty and thank goodness a bit of rain has fed the garden.
We adhere strictly to the rule: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”
So, note to meter reader: A sudden spike in consumption this month is purely as a result of us providing a community service (water) that you were unable to for whatever reason.
One friend phoned this week: “What are you doing this Sunday?”
Hesitant reply: “Errr… nothing.”
“How about a braai at your place? We’ll bring our own booze, meat and soap?”
Jokes aside, water (or the lack thereof) is becoming more and more of a crisis, not only on the South Coast, but in many parts of Africa.
Llewellyn Ruby – an engineer with a giant heart who has now retired to the South Coast – spoke to Port Shepstone Rotarians last week about his six-year stint in Southern Sudan.
To describe the place in a nutshell, Llewellyn tells the story about two American aid workers speaking to each other at Khartoum airport: “This place is like hell on earth,” said one.
Two locals overheard them and also commented, with awe: “These Americans seem to have been everywhere!”
Llewellyn and his team of helpers really did make their mark wherever they went in Southern Sudan and Mongolia. His presentations are really fascinating and make one thankful to be living in this country.
But what was a real eye-opener was his claim that the Sudanese spent about 50 percent of whatever they earned on… water.
Are we going to reach that point?
Perhaps we should be forgetting about spending trillions on nuclear power plants and start channelling our meagre resources into desalination plants. After all, humanity survived the ‘dark ages’, but then there was water aplenty.
Holidaymakers, please don’t be put off by our water woes. Our beaches are still lovely and there is no shortage of ice cold beer and such.
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