<\/p>\n
Load shedding may be a thing of the past, but a new challenge has surfaced in the form of water outages.<\/p>\n
Homeowners are starting to think about water in much the same way they did about load shedding \u2013 by reducing consumption and preparing for interruptions before they occur.<\/p>\n
\u201cWater is beginning to look a lot like load shedding,\u201d says Marc du Plessis, executive head of Standard Bank\u2019s home-efficiency platform LookSee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are outages and restrictions \u2013 but unlike electricity, water is a finite resource.\u00a0You can\u2019t put solar panels on the roof and let the sun do its job.<\/p>\n
\u201cWater has to come from finite supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Planned maintenance, burst pipes, deteriorating municipal infrastructure and water restrictions have made supply interruptions increasingly familiar in many parts of the country.<\/p>\n
While a brief outage may be manageable, Du Plessis says the impact becomes considerably more serious when an interruption lasts several days.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you sit without water for one day and know it will come back after that, you can survive it. But when it goes off for three days, it becomes a problem. Water is also a health and sanitation issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
The scale of the challenge prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to release the National Water Action Plan in July.<\/p>\n
The plan proposes increased investment in infrastructure, including private-sector investment, alongside regulatory reforms and measures to improve municipal water delivery.<\/p>\n
The Presidency says the plan is intended to address the underlying causes of supply failures in municipalities.<\/p>\n
Consumers are also paying more for an increasingly unreliable service. From 1 July, Johannesburg increased its average water tariff by 12.5%, while Ekurhuleni implemented an 11% increase and Tshwane raised water tariffs by 10%.<\/p>\n
These increases are well above the prevailing inflation rate.<\/p>\n
Two-pronged approach<\/p>\n
Du Plessis says water resilience requires a two-pronged approach:<\/p>\n
Households must first reduce avoidable consumption; and
\nThen consider backup storage for periods when municipal supply is unavailable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cheapest and most sustainable litre of water is the one you don\u2019t use,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Water wastage is often harder to spot than electricity wastage. Lights left burning are immediately visible, but a leaking tap, running toilet or faulty irrigation system may waste water unnoticed for months or even years.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see electricity being wasted because it is visible \u2013 for example, lights staying on when they could be switched off. But a leaking tap behind the house can go on for years,\u201d says Du Plessis.<\/p>\n
The first step towards resilience is to identify leaks and reduce unnecessary consumption from garden irrigation, swimming pool top-ups and other water-intensive activities.<\/p>\n
Backup without the upfront cost<\/p>\n
LookSee has now partnered with a specialist service provider to offer municipal backup water systems to households in Johannesburg and Pretoria.<\/p>\n
The tanks are connected to the municipal supply, and household plumbing and fill automatically when water is available.<\/p>\n
If municipal water pressure drops or the supply is interrupted, a pressure-sensitive pump draws water from the tank and supplies the home\u2019s taps, toilets and showers. Once the municipal supply returns, the system switches back and refills the tank.<\/p>\n
The smallest system has a 2 000-litre South African Bureau of Standards-approved tank and is intended to provide a family of four with backup water for about two days.<\/p>\n
It costs R25 999 to purchase, including standard installation, or an estimated R660 a month over 60 months, based on a personal loan at an interest rate of 18%.<\/p>\n
A 5 250-litre system, designed to supply a family of four for about six days, costs R30 999, or an estimated R790 a month over 60 months.<\/p>\n
Rental options start at R599 a month for the basic 2 000-litre system, including installation, annual checks and maintenance. Filtered and ultraviolet-sterilised rental systems are available at higher monthly prices. A premium 2 000-litre system, for example, costs R999 a month.<\/p>\n
LookSee\u2019s backup water tank pricing and specifications are available on its website.<\/p>\n
The rental arrangement is month to month, although there is a R3 000 removal and reconnection fee if the customer cancels.<\/p>\n
Purchased systems belong to the homeowner, but ongoing maintenance is not included.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is some maintenance involved,\u201d Du Plessis says. \u201cFilters need to be changed, ultraviolet bulbs have to be replaced, and the water quality needs to be monitored. We have a partner that can offer this as a subscription service.\u201d<\/p>\n
LookSee says the tanks should also be flushed at least once a month to prevent water from becoming stagnant.<\/p>\n
Du Plessis cautions that backup tanks should not be treated as a licence to consume more water or to draw heavily from municipal reservoirs as soon as supply returns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is resistance to stockpiling water because you don\u2019t want to be draining reservoirs. As with solar, the focus should be on efficiency first and then backup. The same principle applies to water.\u201d<\/p>\n
When supply is restored following a widespread interruption, delaying the refill of backup tanks where practical may also help municipal reservoirs and distribution systems stabilise.<\/p>\n
The parallel with electricity is becoming increasingly clear: solar and batteries did not remove the need for energy efficiency, and water tanks do not remove the need for conservation. One reduces household demand; the other provides a buffer when the system fails.<\/p>\n
Brought to you by LookSee.<\/p>\n
Moneyweb does not endorse any product or service being advertised in sponsored articles on our platform.<\/p>\n
#load #shedding #water #preparedness #frontier #homeowners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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