Cape Town - As the world emerges from the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns which wreaked havoc on global economies, overall household costs have risen sharply over the past two years.
The year 2022 did not kick off with much relief for residents. With fuel and electricity price hikes, and rising inflation rates, many consumers are struggling to make ends meet.
However, there are ways to reduce household spending on municipal bills.
Here are ways in which City of Cape Town residents can cut down their water bill by using less water:
1. Only flush the toilet when necessary, and when you do flush, use greywater only. You can also save water by closing the toilet stopcock and placing a full glass bottle in your cistern to reduce each flush to a maximum of 6 litres. Using less toilet paper (preferably one-ply toilet paper) can also minimise the risk of sewer blockages.
2. Only wash what is absolutely necessary. Using minimum soap will save on rinse water; you can also reuse rinse water for the next wash wherever possible.
3. Wait for a full load before running washing machines and dishwashers. Some washing machine models let you use final rinse water for the next washing cycle. Hand washing laundry uses less water than washing machines, especially older models with no eco cycles.
4. Use containers and “waskoms” when you are showering and use that water to fill your greywater.
5. Fit flow restrictors on indoor taps to reduce the flow rate to less than 6 litres per minute, as per the City’s Water By-law.
6. Find and fix leaks on your property. Leaks are such a waste of our precious water. Install low-flow showerheads or insert a flow restrictor in the showerhead to reduce flow to a maximum of 7 litres per minute, as per the City’s Water By-law.
7. Reduce water pressure to your property by turning your stopcock lower and/or installing a flow restrictor on the primary pipe connection from your meter.
8. Blanket your topsoil with a layer of mulch to reduce evaporation, e.g. grass clippings, shredded leaves, bark chips or straw.
9. Modify your gutters and downpipes to collect rainwater in containers.
10. Fit a pool cover to significantly reduce evaporation. Recycle backwash water. Harvest rainwater and direct it to your pool for top-ups by attaching pipes or plastic sleeves to your gutters.
11. Do not use municipal drinking water for pools, ponds or water features.
12. Use minimal water for food preparation, e.g. don’t run water to defrost or rinse food. Use the food-grade sterilising liquid to clean fruit and vegetables.
IOL