Western Cape faces severe restrictions – Car washes under the loop.

Nov 122010

The necessity of saving water is still in our faces, just as we thought it might be the beginning of the end with the resent rains we had. But just the opposite is becoming a reality. At Water Rhapsody, we want to urge the public to start another thinking mode than what they were used to. Not just during or because of restrictions, but as a general way of thinking. Let us not be so narrow minded, that the availability of water are no concern to us at this stage of our lives, and we think we will be gone by the time it really becomes a problem.

We have a system called the Poseidon Advantage, where the grey water from car washes are going through a cleaning process, and re-using the same used, but clean water to wash the cars again. Car washes are being targeted to invest in systems to conserve water, for their demand of washes might increase significantly during these droughts.

Have a look at this article in the Port Elizabeth Express by Monique Vermeulen on the 3rd of Nov:

Despite much need rain over the last three weeks, the region’s water crisis continue to worsen with supply dams rapidly drying up.

If it does not rain significantly in the next few weeks, residents and businesses will face even more severe water restrictions to be introduces by the Department of Water Affairs, which will inevitably have a negative effect on the economy. At a recent Infrastructure and Engineering Committee meeting, it was said that further water restrictions, with a devastating impact on industry, will be unavoidable unless dam levels rose significantly. “We expect the Department of Water Affairs and other role players, which includes the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, to consider the curtailment of water resources when the combined dam level capacity reaches 30%. This could happen in three to four weeks if we do not get more rain,” said Municipal Media Management Officer, Kupido Baron. When asked what these restrictions would entail, Baron said that he was not at liberty to predict what the outcome of the operational meeting would be.

The average level of the dams currently stands at just over 31%, and the current predictions by the Municipality suggest that the Metro will run out of water July 2011. The current water situation is painting a bleak picture for car washes.

In an open letter to car washes, the Municipality requested the urgent implementation of water-saving measures. The letter states that more people are making use of car washes to conserve their own home usage and to comply with the rules for domestic consumption. “This has served only to divert the usage from one consumer to another. The result of this has seen an expansion of many car washes with little or no usage control. Therefore, all car washes are urgently requested to take measures that will save water and/or harness rain water, so as to reduce consumption of this precious commodity. It is recommended that car washes erect water tanks to collect rain water. The letter furthermore states that car washes should keep water usage statistics as the Municipality intends to acknowledge car washes that proactively save water as part of their operations

In May this year, the Municipality applied for R1.6 billion in drought relief from the Eastern Cape Provincial and National Government, but to date has not heard from them. According to a daily newspaper, the application is still with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which is waiting for additional information from the Eastern Cape government on how it spent received disaster funds.

First on the list of emergency measured is the construction of a desalination plant at Swartkops at a cost of R750 million. Additional emergency measures include the fast tracking of the Nooitgedaght-low-level scheme (R650 million), accessing the low-level storage (8000 ml) in the Impofu Dam (R5 Million), the sinking of Boreholes (R100 million), the repair of water leaks at schools (R50 Million), and the detection of water loss (R20 Million).

Please take your time to scroll through the whole of this website: have a look at our systems of Rainwater Harvesting (Grand Opus), Grey water Re-use (Garden Rhapsody and Second Movement), the saving/recycling of Backwash water (Poolside tank), saving on the amount of water used to flush toilets with (the Multi Flush)

Water Rhapsody’s Neuhoff cracks SA Man of the Week

Main Stories, rainwater harvesting No Responses »

Nov 122010

Seen in the magazine, SA Men, Werner Neuhoff takes role of SA Man of the Week with the following article attached

As the world confronts the growing scarcity of the most indispensable resource, fresh water, a global body of female thought leaders will convene in Canada in October to explore and better understand what’s at stake.

South African “ecopreneur”, Werner Neuhoff, from Water Rhapsody; will present to the International Women’s Forum (IWF), comprising leaders from 70 nations in Montréal, Québec. The global leadership conference will draw women heads of state, corporations and enterprise, as well as members of the diplomatic community, women policy-makers, decision-takers and opinion-leaders on five continents.

According to Neuhoff, global leaders have recognised the importance of addressing future threats to water shortage. The conference will highlight the importance of water for everyday life and ensuring its availability in years to come. “I’ll be talking about the current water situation in South Africa, the importance of water conservation and provide long-term sustainable solutions like rainwater harvesting from roofs and grey-water re-use,” says Neuhoff.

Unfortunately South Africa’s water sources are not in a better situation that the rest or the world. It is estimated that fresh water demand in South Africa will outstrip supply by 2025. The more frightening indications are that Gauteng will have water outages by 2016 and Cape Town will have serious water shortages by 2013. As early as 1995, Professor Bryan Davies, then-head of the Fresh Water research unit at UCT, predicted that Cape Town would be dry by 2013.

“We have always been able to augment further supply by building an additional dam, but not so anymore. There is not another single place or any more river water that can possibly be found anywhere in the Western Cape for augmenting supply. The Western Cape is simply damned out of water,” Neuhoff explains.

An anticipated 800 – 1000 leading experts, advocates and catalysts for change will take part in this global dialogue that will focus on Water, Wealth & Power for the Eco-Century. Their global membership will be challenged to test the boundaries of possibility for a new era of improved access to and utilisation of water resources. Neuhoff will be presenting to this global audience for the Plenary Program – Ecopreneurs: The Blue Gold Rush.

“It’s a huge privilege for me to know that I’m representing ecopreneurs and South Africa at such a prestigious event. It’s certainly one of the highlights in my career and I sincerely hope that our solutions will be implemented, not only in the world, but most importantly here in South Africa,” Neuhoff says.

The conference is designed to stimulate new thinking on domestic and foreign policies regarding water. “As South Africa, we represent the African continent. The water industry will become far greater than any other industry, including gold, minerals or oil,” Neuhoff explains.

The IWF is a global organization of pre-eminent women of significant and diverse achievement. It is a one-of-a-kind organisation of singular standing in the world today that furthers dynamic leadership, leverages global access, and maximises opportunities for women to exert their influence.

“If South Africa’s decision makers do not react to the solutions that we’ll be delivering to the world leaders, we could very well find ourselves in a situation that will be impossible to recover from. The time to save water is when there is water to save. Once the water has run out, it will be too late,” Neuhoff concludes

The Monster in your Garden

Greywater Harvesting, rainwater harvesting, water harvesting No Responses »

Nov 102010

We all have one! He lurks under a bush somewhere, only to be looked at once a month (if he is lucky). That dreaded money gobbler that just sits there waiting for you to open a tap or flush a toilet. And the little devil has a new trick – measures the water you use and charges extra on your bill for the amount you put down the drain. Who said monsters are not clever?

But now you have the ideal weapon against that horrible gadget …. WATER RHAPSODY.

Water Rhapsody has so many systems and devices for you to use in retaliation that you will almost love the little fellow.

Garden Rhapsody – Harvest your usable waste water (grey water) and use it to water your garden or even flush your toilets.
Multi-Flush – Install in place of your existing toilet flushing mechanisms and save a huge amount on your water usage.
Poolside Tank – Don’t put that pool backwash water down the drain. Collect it, treat it and return it to your pool. At 500l a time (four backwashes per month is 2000l) and the chemicals you save, it makes sense.
Grand Opus – The “Big Daddy” of all. Harvest your rainwater and use it in your house instead of municipal water. Now that is one for the books.

There are many households in South Africa who have used Water Rhapsody products and systems and each and every one saves on their water bill (and now the sewage levy as well) to a lesser or greater degree. Some have water bills of ZERO Rand.

Now who says monsters are clever? Tame yours and make it your friend.

Original post by http://waterharvest.co.za/2010/11/10/the-monster-in-your-garden/

Greywater and Rainwater Harvesting

Greywater Harvesting, rainwater harvesting No Responses »

Oct 252010

Everyday millions of people, like you, wake up and take a hot shower before starting their day.
If its good enough for him its good enough for your garden
Some take an evening bath to wind down and relax while they soak in the tub.
Daughters enjoy the luxury of a long wash while attending to their locks.
For young children bath time is still a game of how to get you wet.
The bathroom tap runs while teeth are brushed, hands are washed and beard are shaved.
Family loads of washing flood the laundry daily.
An average four person household sends well over 125,000 litres of reusable water down the drain each year from bathrooms and laundries alone…
Rainwater fills your gutter and gushes out your downpipes to the stormwater drain.
The pool starts its backwash cycle, the water level drops as it drains.
and every time you flush, that’s more water gone to waste.

Where does all of that used water go?

If you have a septic system this water mixes with your black water (from flushing toilets) and eventually goes into the septic tank and drain fields. Possible ground or drinking water contamination could result. If you live in a municipality it might go into the sanitary sewer system.

In many parts of the country fresh water is scarce, especially during the hotter seasons of the year. Lawn watering contributes a great deal to freshwater depletion. Lower dam levels, groundwater and rivers result from increased fresh water usage.

There may be a better way…

Water Rhapsody greywater systems allow homeowners to filter greywater for use in watering gardens, plants and flushing toilets. Not disposing of greywater into septic systems keeps the septic tank and drain field from becoming overtaxed with fluids. In cities the sanitary sewer system also benefits from less volume of greywater to treat and process; preventing sewage spills.

What about Free Water?

This is possible too. If you could save up to 90% on your water bill and be off the grid and self sufficient over the rainy months then this option is for you. Rainwater harvesting offers you a unique sustainable solution to hand you your independence.

Modern rainwater harvesting systems allow the water tanks to be secretly placed away from the home and the soft rainwater to be send back into the house.

What are the options?

Continue paying exorbitant amounts every month on high water bills to ensure your garden survives summer. Keep in mind the water restriction may prevent you from irrigating.
Invest in a greywater system. Take the 125000 litres of water that gets drained to waste every year and irrigate your garden sanctuary. You will not only be exempt from water restriction, you will be saving the environment and your pocket.
Store and Harvest the rainwater that falls on your roof. Use this water inside your home and gain independence from the municipal water supply.

Alje van Hoorn Capewatersolutions

Knysna and the Garden Route receiving welcome Rainfall

Water tanks, rainwater harvesting No Responses »

Oct 202010

Knysna, George and the Garden Route as a whole are receiving some very welcome rainfall. Knysna received close to 30mm over a recent 24 hour period. The total rainfall for this month is 46mm with more good rainfall predicted later in the month.

It is estimated that for every 100sq/m of roof area and every 10mm of rain you are able to collect 1000 litres of rainwater into a water tank. There are a lot of roofs that could have filled a 5000 litres water tank this month. There are many residents in the Garden Route who have a water tank and now have a good supply of water stored to use as they please. This will reduce demand on the municipal water supply and allow them to use hosepipes and sprinkles if they so wish. It is a free source of water and all residents should be looking into the idea of installing a water tank.

Some might be thinking that it is no longer necessary because we are receiving rain. The correct way to think about it is that now there is something to collect. Hopefully the people with raintanks are talking about all the water they have stored and are spreading the word about the advantages and pleasure they will have while watering there garden with a hosepipe in the next dry spell.

This rainfall is still not sufficient as far as bringing the Garden Route out of the current water crisis, but the installation of a water tank would contribute immensely conserving water and to providing a more sustainable water future.

Rainwater Harvesting - Some Facts

Greywater Harvesting, Water tanks, rainwater harvesting 8 Responses »

Sep 232010

Rainwater harvesting can (a) assure an independent water supply during water restrictions, that is though somewhat dependent on end use and maintenance, (b)usually of acceptable quality for household needs and (c) renewable at acceptable volumes despite forecast climate change (CSIRO, 2003). It produces beneficial externalities by reducing peak stormwater run off and processing costs. RH systems are simple to install and operate. Running costs are negligible, and they provide water at the point of consumption.

Rainwater harvesting can be adopted in cities to supplement the city’s other water supplies, to increase soil moisture levels for urban greenery, to raise the water table through artificial recharge, to mitigate urban flooding and to improve the quality of groundwater. In urban areas of the developed world, at a household level, non-potable uses of harvested rainwater include bathroom (i.e. shower/bath/basin), flushing toilets and washing laundry. Indeed in hard water areas it is superior to municipal water for laundry because of its compatibility with detergents and soaps. Rainwater may require treatment prior to use for drinking, depending on anthropogenic (e.g. vehicle exhaust) and natural (e.g. Coal.) contaminants.

In New Zealand, many houses away from the larger towns and cities routinely rely on rainwater collected from roofs as the only source of water for all household activities. This is almost inevitably the case for many holiday homes.

Rainwater harvesting is particularly relevant in areas such as the Garden Route where relatively good rainfall is experienced during summer and winter but due to the towns growing at a rapid rate the dams cannot cope. Water shortages have become more frequent in many towns and cities around South Africa.

South Africa's solution to the drought.

Garden Route water, Greywater Harvesting, rainwater harvesting, water harvesting 5 Responses »

Sep 212010

A typical Rainwater Harvesting system, installed by Water Rhapsody.

Rainwater Harvesting is fast becoming a necessity to survival in some parts of South Africa. It’s the best way of going green and being kind to the environment. The Garden Route is currently going through the worst drought in 153 years, with heavy water restrictions imposed in Mosselbay.

Today it was confirmed that Beaufort West is experiencing its worst drought in over 100 years. Water levels of the Gamka dam reached an all-time low of minus nine percent last week. The town now rely on borehole water.

South Africa’s dams can no longer supply the volume of water required by ever growing population. There is not a single river left in the Western Cape that can be dammed anymore. We simply have no other options.

Water Conservation including Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater re-use, is the only long term sustainable solution to South Africa’s water crises. Continue reading »

Saving water, ten top tips for South Africa (drop by drop!)

Green Tips, rainwater harvesting, water harvesting 3 Responses »

Sep 072010

Do your part towards sustainable living by following ten easy tips on saving water.

Water is becoming a scarce commodity and is just as important as recycling waste or saving energy. Save water by:

1. Fixing any leaks that may occur in your home. Ensure that all your taps are leak free or get leaking taps fixed immediately.

2. Do not pour water down the drain if it can be used for other purposes like cleaning or gardening. Best of all install our grew water system so any water going down the drain feeds into a tank for watering the garden.

3. Check for toilet tank leaks – pour food colouring in the tank and you’ll be able to spot them.

4. Avoid flushing your toilet unnecessarily – dispose of all tissues and sanitary towels by other means. The more you flush the more water is wasted. Install our multi-system to minimise water waste.

5. When washing dishes use a bowl of water rather than letting the water run.

6. When showering, don’t take long showers. Keep them short and sweet.

7. To save water you can also switch your shower head to an aerating fixture which mixes air into the flow to keep the pressure high.

8. Do not defrost meat or other food packages under running water. Defrost it overnight or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

9. Don’t leave the water running when washing your face or brushing your teeth. Use a glass to rinse or gargle.

10. Last but by no means least – install our Water Rhapsody Grand Opus and Grey Water system for the best possible solution.

Answers still not on tap over RDP rainwater tanks project

rainwater harvesting 1 Response »

Aug 192010

MORE than two months since being submitted by a councillor, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality still cannot answer questions on the planned purchase of rainwater tanks for low-income houses without roof guttering.

Acting municipal manager Elias Ntoba told the council last Thursday he had still not received answers to questions put by DA councillor Gustav Rautenbach.

Speaker Helen Sauls-August said the replies must be sent to him in writing within seven days.

An angry Rautenbach said the questions were submitted more than two months ago and it was “unacceptable” that they were still unanswered.

The Herald revealed earlier this year the city planned to buy 1000 rainwater tanks for RDP houses without guttering, saying the water would be collected for domestic use. It was also revealed the city planned to fork out R7500 as part of a “rainwater harvesting” initiative for the 5000-litre tanks, which can be bought online for as little as R2700 and probably less in bulk.

In a memo to executive directors at the time, strategic planning and integration sub-directorate head Sithembele Vatala said the city intended “to implement the piloting of the 1000 units for the RDP houses with immediate effect”.

It had the “institution’s support” and Ntoba was “awaiting a report”.

In the memo, Vatala said the water crisis “calls for desperate measures”. The project would “revisit the old practice of rainwater harvesting in South Africa against the backdrop that the country is water- scarce, with a history of huge inequities in the distribution of both land and water resources, coupled with the fact that the country is fast reaching the limits of what is achievable from a conventional water supply-oriented approach to meeting ever growing demand”.

In addition to being cheap, it could “contribute to improved health”.

Patrick Cull – The Weekend Post Online

For more information regarding rainwater harvesting, grey water systems and the installation of water saving devices in your home or office, please contact me either by phone or email. In addition, my Water Rhapsody products will also improve your wallet’s health compared to the prices the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality are looking to pay!!

Western Cape faces severe restrictions – Car washes under the loop.

Water Rhapsody’s Neuhoff cracks SA Man of the Week

The Monster in your Garden

Greywater and Rainwater Harvesting

Everyday millions of people, like you, wake up and take a hot shower before starting their day.

Some take an evening bath to wind down and relax while they soak in the tub.

Daughters enjoy the luxury of a long wash while attending to their locks.

For young children bath time is still a game of how to get you wet.

The bathroom tap runs while teeth are brushed, hands are washed and beard are shaved.

Family loads of washing flood the laundry daily.

An average four person household sends well over 125,000 litres of reusable water down the drain each year from bathrooms and laundries alone…

Rainwater fills your gutter and gushes out your downpipes to the stormwater drain.

The pool starts its backwash cycle, the water level drops as it drains.

and every time you flush, that’s more water gone to waste.