Water Saving Tips   <<< Go Back To Homepage

Below are some innovative water saving ideas. Should you also wish to contribute your ideas then please email them to watersavingtips@shands.co.za:

General ideas to promote water saving
Can you help with any of the following?

• Promote water awareness in the school curriculum using tools such as the Home water audit challenge
• Compel all new houses to be designed for the easy use of greywater by gravity. The greywater from different sources should have separate pipes that exit the wall above groundlevel. The outlets should offer the homeowner the option of redirecting the water into the garden or directing it into the sewer. The pipes should be separate so that the greater pressure of water from a basin can be used to distribute water further from the house that the bath and to prevent, for instance, water from the basin backing up into the bath.
• A "plumbing" certificate should be a prerequisite for the sale of a house - just like "beetle" and "electrical" certificates. The "plumbing" certificate should only be issued to houses without dangerous plumbing (geysers with faulty pressure relieving circuits) and leaks. Unbalanced cold and hot water systems should also be identified.
• Labelled indigenous waterwise plants, especially trees, should be planted in municipal parks and on golf courses. This will help to promote awareness and also help answer many questions (mature size, rate of growth, messiness, aggressiveness of the roots, suitability for windy, salty environments, extent of shade, appearance after pruning etc) before the tree is planted and has grown for 20 years.
• More information on the impact of soaps (particularly clothes washing powders) on the soils is required. Some soaps available in the USA seem to have a much lower salt load than those marketed in South Africa.

Kitchen
Jean Miller of Mowbray and Diana Borcherds of Somerset West suggest keeping:

Bathroom
Tamara North, a Masters student in the Environmental and Geographical Science Department at UCT says a tap dripping one drop a second could waste 30 litres of water every day. Replacing tap washers is inexpensive and easy to do.
To check your toilet for leaks:

An alternative method of testing whether the flush valve at the bottom of the toilet is leaking would be to place a piece of toilet paper against the back inside of the bowl and see if it gets wet. Acknowledgement Dr Guy Preston

Toilet lid sink
A toilet sink on the top of the toilet cistern enable water to be used to clean one's hands before it is used to flush the toilet. These cost about R350. Acknowledgement Dr Guy Preston

Pool
Topping up pool

Use a gutter pipe to take rainwater from the roof to top up the pool. Pantyhose stretched over the end of the gutter pipe traps dirt before it enters the pool.

Like Dr Guy Preston , I too have a roof drainpipe projecting over my swimming pool , but to keep leaves and debris out I have glued a fine grey pvc/glassfibre mosquito type netting on the upper edge of the plastic gutters with a high-pressure type pvc solvent cement . The netting is subject to ultra-violet degradation , so I painted it with roof paint to protect it . The taught netting completely covers the gutters. Wind seems to keep the netting clear. Of course , when the pool is full in winter it is best to redirect the flow elsewhere ( preferably into a tank) to avoid excessive pool dilution with loss of chemicals down the overflow.

Backwash water from sand filter
Dr Anthony Keen of Rondebosch suggests using a 240 litre domestic refuse wheelie-bin to save the water normally lost when backwashing one's sand filter. After a few days the clear supernatant is returned to the pool with only the last little bit of sediment with the sediment being discarded. This saves not only water but also pool chemicals.

The bin is painted white inside to help check water clarity. A 32 mm plastic "tank fitting" or yacht hull "skin fitting" plastic ball valve and hose are fitted about 10 to 15 cm above the bottom of the bin to allow the return of clear water to the pool. At the bottom of the bin fit another plastic valve and hose to discharge the sediment waste. The bin is placed on bricks conveniently close to the pool filter and a discharge point.

To help the fine sediment to settle add a teaspoon of flocculating agent before the inrush of water to ensure good mixing. Don't use flocculent with iron (Ferric) salts, which may stain the pool walls.

The bins are available from some large plastics-only warehouse type shops for approximately R300,00 (not the cleansing department)

Polyester bag filter

Left : A look inside the backwashless filter

Right : A closeup of a single polyester bag connected to the central hub

Dave Erasmus's new patented design mounts 12 8-litre polyester filter bags on a central hub inside a conventional 3 bag sand filter body. No backwashing is necessary as the bags are simply removed for cleaning. He claims that the filter needs only be cleaned every 3-6 months and that it is compatible with all currently available swimming pool and Koi Pond systems. This includes pre-installed chlorinators, diatomaceous earth and activated charcoal variations. The product range includes DIY kits. (Contact Dave Erasmus direct for details, costs and references : email dzu_dzu1@telkomsa.net or phone 083 6760512)

Grey-water
The use of grey-water (from baths, washing machines etc) for toilet flushing and gardening significantly reduces the amount of potable water required by a household. The user must be aware of potential problems:

For more details see reuse_text.html

Despite the potential problems, water-saving champions such as Dr Guy Preston are happy with the grey water systems (an underground tank and a submersible pump) that they have installed at their houses and which are used to water their garden.

At work - Report toilets that flush for too long to the building manager
Report toilets that flush for too long to the building manager. Also ask him to read the water meter to determine the water use overnight and over the weekend to determine if there are any leaks that need to be fixed.

In offices unnecessarily frequent and long toilet flushes waste huge volumes of water.

Our office uses the "flushmaster" units manufactured by Cobra Watertech and we have found that:

The procedure is quite simple:

Flushmaster with handle.

To reduce the flush duration turn the screw above the handle clockwise. To increase the flush intensity turn the screw on the bend exiting from the wall anticlockwise to open the inlet valve.

If these settings result in water splattering on the toilet seat then the intensity of the flush will have to be reduced and the duration may need to be increased. If the flush remains unsatisfactory then a new set of rubber seals may need to be installed by a suitably experienced person. The screw on the bend will need to be turned clockwise to shut off the inlet valve. After closing the inlet valve and before starting to replace the rubber seals check that no water enters the bowl when the toilet handle is depressed.

Flushmaster with pushbutton

The Flushmaster with a push button valve has less of a time adjustment range than the Flushmaster with a handle. The pushbutton retainer is knurled and locked with a 2.5 mm Allen screw in the body below it. The activating pin has an offset cam on the inside and the whole unit can be rotated 360 degrees. When the cam is on top the flush is longer and shorter when it is at the bottom. The easiest way to adjust it is to remove the locking grub screw and pull the whole button assembly out, choose the location of the cam and push it back in that position and lock it with the grub screw. Flow adjustment is on the ball control valve located on the underside of the valve inlet near the wall.

Simple grey-water system

Colin Perel installed the following simple grey-water system system last May:

I only use water from the shower and bath outlets (the washing machine outlet pumps into the bath), so the grey water has no food or fat particles in it. I don't have a tank for storing grey water, the only storage facility I have is to keep the plug in the bath while the washing machine does its thing and then to let the water run out onto the garden in the evening when it's cooler. As there is not a big slope on the property the water flows out quite slowly. We move the hose every 20 minutes or so.

To divert the water took about two hours to accomplish and cost was approximately R40. It's a simple operation to cut the 40mm PVC outlet pipe and install the necessary elbows and reducers. You can see that I have fitted a standard male Gardena fitting at the end of the reducing piece. Don't glue the male fitting in place because it may be necessary to remove it and clean the outlet should it become blocked with fluff or whatever else bypasses the washing machine's filter system.

We've saved a considerable amount of water by using recycled water on the garden.

Aside:
a) If blockages are a problem then it might help to use a wider diameter pipe and to use some of the new fittings that are available - avoiding the constricting Gardena insert. Adapters to help modify outlet pipes are now available (see below)
b) If strong detergents are used to clean the bath then the hosepipe can still redirect this water down the drain.

New adapters connect hosepipes to the 40 mm (Outer Diameter) drainage pipes

Hosepipe from standard inspection eye

Hosepipe from end of outlet pipe

Avoid collecting water from systems with toxic roof materials , paints and flashings

Avoid using runoff from the following systems for pools or drinking:

Properly sealed and painted asbestos slates and sheets might be OK for collecting water for gardening/washing purposes but preferably not drinking. Many asbestos roofs are in fair shape and may be painted directly without cleaning. Unfortunately, older unpainted asbestos roofs usually have lichens, moss and fungus growing on them, making them appear black.

The fibres released by any cleaning technique prior to painting are impossible to contain, contaminate the environment and are hazardous to one's health for many years. Worst of all is high pressure cleaning of asbestos cement, which is banned in many countries. So do not attempt to physically clean asbestos cement! A possible method may be to apply copper sulphate dissolved in water (which kills lichens) and allow the growths to slowly weather away for 6 to 12 months before painting (possibly reapplying copper sulphate after 6 months). It is uncertain whether paint will stick really well to the asbestos substrate even after this treatment. Copper sulphate crystals should be available from gardening or paint shops. Residual minute traces of copper are non-toxic in collected water. (Copper pipes are used for drinking water). A little copper sulphate or finely divided copper metal powder added to your paint should inhibit lichen/moss growth for a long time on your nice new surface.

Cellulose fibre is now used instead of asbestos in all fibre reinforced cement products made in South Africa since 2003. This should be painted with a solvent based alkali resistant primer sealant followed by two coats of good roof paint. Unscrupulous importers may still bring in cheaper asbestos products from neighbouring countries.

Garden

Lawn Length

The shorter the lawn is cut the more the roots are exposed to the sun and the more water is required to nourish the grass. Under normal circumstances the Buffalo grass should not be cut less than 40mm and during periods of water restrictions the grass should be allowed to grow even longer. In some instances the linkage mechanism of the lawnmower may need to be adjusted so that the mower does not cut the lawn too short. Lawn cutting services should allow their clients to choose to what length the lawn is trimmed.

Garden Watering of shrubs and trees

Colin Perel of Brackenfell suggests piping the water direct to the roots of shrubs and trees to reduce the evaporation from the top soil surface, especially where no mulch is available to place around the plant:

One method uses a 2 litre plastic cold drink bottle. The bottle cap is removed and the bottom is almost cut off, except for a short length that acts as a hinge.

Dig a hole next to the tree and almost bury the bottle (cap end down). Place some loose stones at the base of the hole to assist with drainage and back-fill the hole with sand. To water the plant lift the bottom of the bottle around the hinge and pour water into the "funnel". In windy areas the flap may help prevent sand from clogging the bottle.

Infiltration may be slow in clayey soils or when crud from the kitchen sink blocks the outlet hole. In these cases the hole at the cap end can be enlarged, or the bottle could be used the right way up, or the bottle could be replaced by a 300 to 500mm length of 110 mm plastic duct pipe angled towards the roots of the tree. Acknowledgement: Colin Perel

Saving in Commercial buildings

Significant volumes can be wasted in commercial buildings. Check whether your work building uses water overnight and if the consumption exceeds about 30 litres per employee per day. The elevated consumption may be due to a valid reason, possibly an onsite canteen, or else from easily fixed leaking ball valve washers in pressure tanks or toilet cisterns. More difficult tasks may require an expert to log the water consumption, diagnose the problem and if necessary upgrade the plumbing. Automatic flushing urinals waste huge volumes of water and should be removed as a matter of course.

A number of years ago the City reduced the water consumption of a number of its offices, including 38 Wale Street.

Before the intervention about 2.7m3/hr was consumed and significant flows occurred at night…

Success! The average flows were reduced from 2,7m³/h to 0,9m³/h and nighttime flows were eliminated.

This equated to a saving of about R50 000/year. The repair costs were paid for within 1,5 years

Saving in Schools and Government buildings

The following savings were achieved principally by fitting "Multiflush" toilet mechanisms, "Walcro" flush valves and "Economy" shower roses where appropriate.

Reduction in demands achieved through retrofits

A variable flush helps to ensure that the cisterns do not empty unnecessarily and helps the toilet blocks cope with a larger throughput - potentially reducing the number of toilets required and reducing the incidence of vandalism through impatient flushing.

When installing a low flow shower rose look out for low-pressure geysers where the hot and cold water-pressure is not balanced. If the cold water is at a higher pressure than the hot water, then cold water can flow to waste through the safety valve if flow constrictors and flow constricting shower heads are used. Ensure your proposed shower-head will not cause a similar problem.

Savings in Industry : Fishing

Most of the original South African fish processesing equipment was developed for use on ships at sea where water was plentiful. Since 1998, the local fishing industry has been implementing the "Cleaner Production" initiative which aims to:

• increase efficiency;
• prevent the pollution of air, water and land;
• reduce waste at source; and,
• minimise risks to humans and the environment.

The Danish Government provided seeding funds of about R3,5 million and technical support through the Danish Technological Institute. Locally the CSIR (FIRI) worked in partnership with selected South African companies.

Initially, the following relatively inexpensive measures were applied:

• using automatic shut-off valves instead of hand valves
• using nozzles on cleaning jets for increased water use efficiency
• using conveyor belts instead of water flumes

Later, more capital investments were required to achieve additional savings:

• replacing old high water consuming equipment e.g.: crate washing
• using water recirculation in cooling systems
• installing monitoring equipment to ensure savings are maintained

At I & J the following savings were achieved

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