The City of Cape Town used National Water Week as an opportunity to promote the importance of water conservation in the metropole.

“The City’s Water and Sanitation Department has a proud history of engaging with residents and businesses as well as visitors to Cape Town around the responsible use of water. As part of our commitment to being a Caring City, we have, for the past three years, dedicated the entire month of March to highlighting the importance of everyone’s role in the city towards water conservation. Although we constantly remind residents that every day should be a water-saving day, we intensify our efforts in support of the national initiative in March,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg.

The City is proud to have a dedicated unit consisting of trained water conservation officials who educate and raise awareness about water conservation all year round. The trained water conservationists visit schools, tertiary and religious institutions, government and non-government institutions, businesses and industry throughout the year to impress upon them the need to be responsible water users.

During March, and especially National Water Week, City staff go even further to boost the national campaign. This is an opportunity for the City to shine alongside our peers at a national level, by making a significant impact on water consumers through the City’s three-year ‘Keep Saving Water’ campaign.

The City has consistently improved its efforts to engage and communicate with water consumers. The City’s dedicated website, www.capetown.gov.za/keepsavingwater, offers easy reference and access to water saving information and tips for homeowners, business, commerce and the building industry. Avid gardeners will also find a wealth of useful information about water-wise gardening.

“National Water Week should be seen as a challenge to each and every water consumer to take stock of their current water usage practices. This shouldn’t be too difficult as one can easily measure amounts by using containers of known quantities and measuring the quantities used versus the quantities wasted. An easy example could be to look at how many cups of running water are used to wash and rinse a cup, other utensils, fruit or vegetables. When translating the cups to litres, one becomes aware of the unconscious, wasteful way that we treat our most precious life-preserving resource – water. We have it within ourselves to change these bad habits and also encourage others to do the same,” said Councillor Sonnenberg.

The Water and Sanitation Department’s Water Demand Management Strategy has proven very effective thus far as the City has managed to successfully implement measures to manage the water resources within its networks across the city.

The City has reduced unaccounted for water losses by 5,1% during the 2010/11 financial year and the percentage is increasing, thanks to:

• Effective metering and monitoring
• Technical assessments
• Proactive maintenance and planning
• The pipe-replacement programme
• Pressure management
• Zoning of distribution networks
• Leak repair projects
• Education and awareness
• Training and skills development

Another vital component of the City’s Water Demand Management Strategy is directing the final treated effluent from the wastewater treatment processes through an additional treatment process, and conveying it as irrigation water for schools, sports fields and agriculture and for industries where drinking water quality is not a requirement. This reduces the demand and dependency on drinking water, thus saving our precious water resources. Dedicated distribution networks are in place and consumers are encouraged to apply for connections to this alternate non-potable water supply where the networks are available.

Most importantly, water quality checks and analyses are undertaken on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the National Water Quality Code SANS 241. For the past few years, the City has received Blue Drop Certificates from the Department of Water Affairs. The Blue Drop Certificate not only recognises a municipality’s ability to provide quality drinking water, but also recognises the efficiency of the entire process surrounding the purification and distribution of water. The City has also received Green Drop Certificates for a number of its wastewater treatment plants.