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Without water, there is NO life. World Water Day takes place this year on the 22nd March, and we all need to be educated and aware of what we can do to preserve and protect our precious water.
Water is vital for ALL life on earth, whether living at the bottom of the ocean or in the driest of deserts. Water is the reason there is life on our planet and that is why scientists think that if they find water on other planets, they are sure to find life there too.
So, if life depends on water, then why does mankind abuse and waste water so much? Is it because there is a lack of understanding or is it because certain people do not care and think that their supply will never be compromised? Living in Cape Town, I personally felt the effects of the decline in rainfall between 2015 and 2018, which led to the city being on the brink of Day Zero, the point at which the municipal water supply would be shut off. All Capetonians were restricted to the amount of water they could use per day and steep tariffs were slapped on those who did not adhere to the restrictions. It was prohibited to fill swimming pools; no watering of gardens and the use of hose pipes was also prohibited. Showers were limited to 3 minutes and for a woman with long hair, that is really a tall ask. Each person in the house was limited to just over 49 litres, which included ALL water: drinking, showering, toilet flushes etc. NOT a lot of water at all and a very uncomfortable situation for families. Our coastal paradise of 4 million on the southern tip of South Africa was to become the first modern major city in the world to completely run dry. Even though residents were not entirely responsible, the burden of making sure it doesn’t happen rests largely on our ability to cut down on water usage.
There were loads of tips shared by fellow Capetonians and it was heart-warming to see the camaraderie. Tips like, Don’t boil food, rather grill, or bake; Use paper plates and disposable utensils; Shower over a tub and collect the water in containers to flush toilets and to wash clothes. This last tip I remember all TOO well as I put my back out early one morning, lifting the tub and emptying the water into a bucket. Ouch, painful both physically and financially, as many a physio session was needed to sort my injury out. Showering together also sounded like quite a good idea and could be a nice way to connect with your partner. The movies make this look hot and steamy in so many ways, but alas, NO. There is NOTHING sexy about sharing a 3-minute shower with someone who is larger than you are and leaves you, looking like a drowned rat, shivering in the corner, waiting for your turn to rinse the shampoo out of your eyes. Those 3 minutes felt like 3 hours and never ever will the shower be shared again!
Day Zero, thankfully never came and the city’s largest supplier of water, The Theewaterskloof Dam, increased in dam levels from 11% on March 9th, 2018, to 100% on Oct 2020. We all breathed a sigh of relief and I have to say that the impact of the pending day zero, still stays with me and my family, as none of us, to this day, can bring ourselves to run a bath. Showers for all, and yes, longer than 3 minutes, but still, we make sure to keep them quick.
Listening to the radio recently, I was shocked to hear that Gauteng is under severe strain as the power cuts have hit their supply systems. Residents have been urged to use water sparingly as the infrastructure challenges and rolling blackouts cannot run the pumps, resulting in reservoirs reaching critically low levels. This illustrates the challenges we are all faced with as water becomes scarce for many different reasons and there are currently households that have not had water for days!
All over the world, there are people struggling with no access to clean drinking water, so we are really more fortunate than so many others. According to The 1 Drop Foundation, there are 2 billion people in the world that lack safe water at home; 1.98 billion people do not have basic water services at their health care facilities; 206 million people spend more than 30 minutes per round trip collecting water; 17 Million women in undeveloped countries give birth in health care facilities with inadequate water and sanitation each year; 144 million people drink water directly from a river, dam, lake, pond or other water masses.
What can we do both at home and at work to help conserve water?
At home:
Check and fix all leaks on your property.
Take shorter showers and turn off the shower while soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse.
Make sure you put a full load into your washing machine and dishwasher before starting a wash cycle.
Cut down the amount of water flushed down the toilet by placing a 2-liter plastic bottle full of water in the water tank (cistern) of your toilet.
When washing dishes by hand, don't leave the water running to rinse dishes, and have a basin in the sink to collect any water running.
Use greywater (from the washing machine, basins, shower, and bath) in the garden.
If possible, collect rainwater and store it in tanks.
If you have a swimming pool, cover it to prevent evaporation, thus reducing the need to refill.
Make sure you only plant water-wise plants in your garden.
At Work:
Make sure that the toilets are Low-Flow units, thus reducing the amount of water when flushed.
Fix leaking taps and create a group of Water Hero’s, who report any wastage of water or issues which could lead to water wastage. Run a competition and encourage employees to give their water-saving tips and at the end of each month, have a get-together and announce the winner, who will receive a beautiful company-branded eco-friendly water bottle and be named the company “Water Warrior” of the month.
Install a dishwasher in the kitchen and only use when it is full.
Some air conditioners use a lot of water, so, if possible, turn these off whenever possible.
Implement a method to reuse unused water. If there is any water left over from the kettle, or in drinking vessels, then collect this water and use it to water the plants. Have a basin in the sink to catch any water when taps are turned on for whatever reason.
·Employers should keep reminding staff about the importance of conserving our water. Education is key and can be turned into fun activities. Leave a few jigsaw puzzles in the lunch room, which when completed, make up a water-wise picture. Leave some water-wise colouring in books on the tables and encourage employees to take these home to share with their children, thus educating the future Water Warriors.
As March is World Water Day, why not celebrate this and create awareness by printing some catchy phrases on T-shirts, for the staff to wear to work on Fridays? Not only is this good for team building, but this also gets the message out there. How about these slogans, “Think before you let it drip” or “Save water. "The World is in your Hands” or “Are you Using or Wasting water” or “Water is Life” or “Every Drop Counts”. These slogans can then be duplicated as signage, to be spread around the workplace.
All of us must understand the importance of water. We can all start taking small steps to save it for not only our secure future but also for the upcoming generations. So, implement these steps and start saving water now.
Thank you for your time and please feel free to contact us by mailing gifting@completegifts.co.za should you require assistance with any #waterwise gifting ideas or other branded merchandise. “Let us help you communicate the right message and create brand ambassadors for life”
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