Water saving tips

With some areas in Joburg being struck with water shortages, one thing any person should do is try and save water as is necessary.

According to Joburg Water statistics, Johannesburg’s tap water rates among the cleanest, safest and healthiest in the world.

In all, Joburg Water supplies some 650 000 domestic and business customers, reaching about three million people.
Every resident of Johannesburg receives free basic water of 6kl every month.

In addition, those people on the City’s indigent register receive 10kl of free basic water every month.
An emergency water allowance of 4kl a year is also given to each indigent household.

Here are few tips on saving water to prevent the same from happening in the future:

• Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth – this can save six litres of water per minute.
• Take a shorter shower. Shower can use anything between 6 and 45 litres per minute.
• Always use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher – this cut out unnecessary washes in between.
• Fix a dripping tap, a dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day, or 5,500 litres of water a year.
• Water your garden with a watering can rather than a hosepipe. A hosepipe uses 1,000 litres of water an hour.
• Mulching your plants (with bark chippings, heavy compost or straw) and watering in the early morning and late afternoon will reduce evaporation and also save water.
• Fill a jug with tap water and place this in your fridge.
• This will mean you do not have to leave the cold tap running for the water to run cold before you fill your glass.
• Install a water meter. When you’re paying your utility provider for exactly how much water you use, laid out in an itemised bill, there’s an incentive to waste less of the stuff.
• Invest in water-efficient goods when you need to replace household products. You can now buy water-efficient showerheads, taps, toilets, washing machines, dishwashers and many other water-saving products.

@gmaster34