How To Save Water During Cape Town's Water Crisis

Here are some tips on saving water during Cape Town's drought

A statement from the Western Cape Provincial Government Gazette,made on 1st December 2017, confirms that level 6 water restrictions will come into effect as of January 2018.  Level 6 water restrictions bring firmer regulations when it comes to our water usage in Cape Town and surrounding areas.

We definitely have to start thinking about ways to save water during this dry spell in Cape Town, not just to avoid hefty fines that come with overuse of water, but to preserve our environment.

Here are ways that you can cut down on your water usage:

• Flush your toilet less

As the saying goes, "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." It really is not necessary to flush the toilet after every single use. The amount of water wasted can be hugely avoided by flushing after every 3rd or 4th use.

• Use a bucket to catch cold water while the tap is heating up

While you wait for the tap to heat up, collect the cold water in a bucket and use it in your garden, or instead of opening the tap every time you want to wash your hands, use this collected water to rinse the soap off. You can also use this water for cooking.

• Shower/bath less

The human body naturally cleans itself. Its not really necessary to shower every day. In the olden days, it was not uncommon for people to bath as little as a couple times a year. It's only since we started regularly stripping our skin of the natural oils from using soap almost daily, that our bodies have become accustomed to always having to overproduce excretions, resulting in us needing to bath/shower even more.

• Take cowboy baths

If you're not totally comfortable with cutting down on your daily bathing, fill up the basin with a little bit of water and use a washcloth and soap to wash your body.

• Turn off the tap while lathering

We all know how glorious it is to stand underneath the warm flow of water while lathering up our bodies. Stop. It is a luxury, not a necessity. Turn the tap off while you're lathering up the soap. Even better, turn the tap off while shaving, or allowing the conditioner to work into your hair.

• Stop using a dishwasher

Instead, do the dishes the old-school way by filling the basin with a bit of soapy water and washing them by hand. You will save both water and electricity!

• Fix leaking taps

If you hear a drip, drip, drip, please get it fixed. You won't realise how much water is wasting down the drain.

• Only do a load of laundry if you can fill up the machine

Avoid doing small loads of laundry, as this will result in doing multiple loads and using more water. Wait until you have a full load so that you can minimize the load to just 1. You may also want to consider only putting something in the laundry basket if it is dirty and needs a wash. We often put clothes in the laundry when they can be worn again.

• Collect rain water

Put buckets, bowls or drums outside to collect rainwater to use in your home and garden. You can even invest in a professional rainwater collection system.

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