WATER EFFICIENCY

							WATER EFFICIENCY

‘Energy efficiency’ - bandied about constantly – is now generally understood without an explanation required. Mostly we
haven’t yet experienced a ‘water crisis’ the way we did an ‘energy crisis’ early in 2008. Isn’t it time that we recognised that
potential?


A recent talk show on a local radio station had a caller from Zimbabwe phone in triumphant – for the first time in years he
was receiving (a trickle of) water through local water infrastructure. Asked how he’d previously survived water-wise for his
domestic requirements, he answered that he had for months been paying US $50 per week for water ‘tankered in’. The
entrepreneur who was supplying many households in this way, was drawing borehole water.


How dire water supplies can become, and how costly the entrepreneurial solution: never mind the money, think of the
impacts of continually lowering the water table, in an already dry situation. Trees and shrubs with shallow roots, grasses
and grazing will shrivel up - with man and beast going thirsty (and hungry). As the water table drops lower, large trees with
deep taproots will drop leaves, cease leaf, flower and fruit production. Shade will be lost. Water, now more costly to pump
up from greater depths, will become ever pricier. Those with the means to buy will forego less important items in favour of
this life-giving resource. Those without the means will what – go elsewhere? Steal supplies? Sicken, die?


We thought the energy crisis was grim. A water crisis will make an energy crisis look like a picnic in the park.


Let’s get into water efficiency mode whilst we still have the resource readily available to us. Some of the better-known
ways:


    Installing gutters, leading roof rainwater runoff into tanks – above or below ground.
    Greywater re-use for gardens and for other situations not requiring potable water
    Dual-flush toilets – smaller flush for the liquid component; bigger flush for the solids. Not flushing unless absolutely
     necessary. We managed it a few decades back during a short drought; we can do so again now in order to preserve
     our precious water.
    Boiling only sufficient water for the task at hand; alternatively boiling up a whole kettle-full and storing the unused
     portion in a flask.


But what about stretching our minds somewhat? Remember we’re seeking water EFFICIENCY – the efficient use of water.
What about using less electricity? Electricity use in water production and water use in energy production are inevitable. So
saving one saves the other.


Eskom’s website states that electricity production during 2005/6, mainly at coal-powered facilities used 292 million cubic
metres of water. (That presumably excludes water required in mining the coal beforehand). They had decreased water
usage from 2.85L/kWh in 1980 to 1.32L/kWh in 2006.


Thomas Petla of RandWater quoted me the following for electricity usage for abstraction, purification and distribution to
homes and businesses in the 2007 financial year: 1 280 kWh per million litres of water. That year they produced 1 340 919
million litres. That means that 1 340 919 x 1 280 = 1 716 376 320 kWh of electricity was used in the production of drinking
water for citizens serviced by RandWater alone. Let’s put those statistics in our collective (coal-fired smoke-) stack and
ponder more fully the implications of water wastage.
Ever tried using water 3 or more times? Catch the cold water in a bucket while waiting for hot water to arrive for your shave
or shower. Use the cold water perhaps to handwash delicate laundry articles, then use it for cleaning floors, and finally
gently pour the remaining water onto the garden. ‘Gently?’ If we hurl water into a prepared garden bed, we dislodge soil
particles and important micro-organisms, and so break down soil’s ability to nurture plants.


Your ever-so-slightly dusty vehicle could be cleaned once weekly or every 2 weeks rather than daily. You might consider
avoiding water-guzzling automatic washers at petrol stations, in favour of ensuring that someone eking out a living by
manually washing cars in a parking ground can take a few Rand home to their family at day’s end. When petrol stations re-
design car-cleaning processes to ensure least water wastage, greatest possible water re-use and greatest energy efficiency,
perhaps I’ll reconsider – but meantime I’m for the small operator.


Now what about some exciting new/different water efficiency ideas from you the readers? Send them in –we’re all in this
together and can all do with every bit of help we can get. This is your opportunity to share your novel water-saving tips!