Water Tanks | The Water and Solar Company

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

South Africa’s Water Time Bomb

Water matters 3 Responses »

Oct 272010

By Tony Carnie

Trade unions are turning up pressure on the government to tackle the country’s dirty water “time bomb” as a matter of urgency – or face the prospect of national protest action.

The Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa), the second-largest trade union group in the country, warned yesterday that the government was neglecting the management of clean water, including scores of overflowing sewage treatment works that should be placed in “intensive care”.

Fedusa said it would prefer to see the problems resolved in the interests of the public rather than embarking on protest action, but it had nevertheless served a warning notice on the government last month in terms of section 77 of the Labour Relations Act.

This allows worker groups to embark on protected strike/protest action to promote or defend socio-economic interests if grievances cannot be resolved by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).

In a memorandum to the government, Fedusa said it was no longer a secret that South Africa’s water security was under threat.

“The media inundate us every day with news reports, pictures and film footage of raw sewage and industrial effluent being pumped blatantly into dams, streams and rivers, thus polluting one of our most precious natural resources to the extent that it poses a dreadful danger to all forms of life.

“Hardly a day goes by without reports of water purification and sanitation plants that have fallen into a state of disrepair, because local authorities no longer have knowledgeable people with the necessary expertise to maintain the plants.

“The result is unsafe water running from taps (particularly in rural areas) and disgusting sewage bubbling up from manholes in the streets of many towns.”

Despite the apparent culture of “total disrespect” towards water, this was not the time to play the blame game, but rather to work together to solve it.

“The fact is that 98 percent of South Africa’s available water supply is already fully utilised and the country is sitting on a time bomb which will affect each and every person within her borders. Enough has been said to confirm that we are dealing with a problem of gigantic proportions.”

Problems such as inadequate staffing, funding and expertise had been identified by the Water Affairs Department five years ago, while the department’s latest Blue Drop drinking water report showed that only 55 percent of municipalities managed to score higher than 50 percent.

The companion Green Drop report on waste water treatment suggested that 76 percent of municipal sewage works scored below 50 percent, while many had in effect scored zero.

The Fedusa report said 19 major dams across the country were highly polluted, scores of wild animals had died in the Kruger National Park from drinking polluted water and some farmers were unable to irrigate crops because river water was polluted.

To add to the problems, the Water Affairs Ministry was on record as stating that R100 billion was needed over the next three years to restore water infrastructure, but the available budget was only R26.8bn.

However, Nedlac has to try four times to resolve the grievances before protected protest action can begin. The first meeting was held yesterday in Joburg.

Leon Grobler, CEO of Fedusa affiliate the United Association of SA, said: “All our members need to drink water to survive and we see it as part of our duty to society to get involved and to ensure that the potential health impacts of drinking polluted water are avoided.”

He said the government had agreed to form a joint steering committee of Fedusa and government representatives, but had also requested a 30-day recess to consult government ministers and officials.

Fedusa also raised concern about the problem of acid-polluted mine water in Gauteng as well as chemical pollution from mines in Witbank and other parts of Mpumalanga.

Fedusa said the World Health Organisation calculated that about 3.4 million Africans died every year from drinking unsafe water or because of poor sanitation.

University of Stellenbosch health sciences epidemiologist Jo Barnes warned of the deadly health hazards of polluted streams, rivers and dams and said more emphasis should be placed on tracing pollution to its source.

“We need a commitment from all South Africans to seriously and visibly act fast to address the issues that are now threatening the lives of the poor,” she said.

Fedusa demanded that the Water Affairs Department identify dysfunctional water and wastewater treatment plants and place them in “intensive care” under a national project manager who should draw up a programme and prepare a budget to restore the water infrastructure.

The Water Institute of SA should also be approached to explore the possibility of fast-tracking the training of water treatment staff.

“The handover of ‘restored’ plants to the respective municipalities should be conditional on the correct staff being appointed and trained.”

The Water Affairs Department could not be reached for comment. – The Mercury

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.

Use a Water Tank for your Garden

Water tanks 2 Responses »

Oct 132010

Using rainwater tanks is the perfect way for you to create the garden of your dreams and keep it green all year round. One of the biggest drains of a city’s water supply can come from people using their water for gardening. Most people enjoy the look of beautiful lawns and lush gardens, however this is using precious water that is needed for bathing, cooking or drinking. Gardens account for most of the water used in the home and is therefore the biggest domestic contributer to the water shortage. No matter what type of water problems you are experiencing and whether you stay in Western/Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Natal or anywhere else in the world for that matter, there is a way to have lush gardens without using up your city’s water supply.

To build a system that is suitable for your garden, you need to calculate a) how much water you need and b) how much water you get. Local rainfall tables are available from Weather SA. By using slimline tanks you can keep your tanks out of the way so they don’t take up valuable space in your garden. If you can’t afford a big tank, use a modulate tank so you can start with one and join on another one next year. Slimline tanks are typically round or elliptical, and some tanks are rectangular and flat, so that fit together and look like a normal wall or fence.

Using rainwater for your garden is also a great idea because you don’t have to do anything to the water before you use it for your plants and vegatables. In fact, some research shows the water even healthier than watering them out of your own water supply, depending on where your local water comes from. Water from the tap is treated with chemicals to make sure there is no harmful bacteria, strange colours or smells. Pipes that deliver the mains water can be over 50 years old and full of rust, dirt, tree roots and other nasty pollutants. Compare that to rainwater which falls directly from the sky!

Getting the water from the tank(s) to your garden, you have a few options to consider. This can be as simple as a watering can or hose for small blocks, although this might result in some serious back injuries after a while! Or an integrated set up with pumps and controllers which is better for larger gardens. If you are concerned with small particles gettingf caught in the sprinklers or you also intend on using the water in your home, then you might consider installing the Water Rhapsody Rain Runners onto your downpipes which sieves out any dirt or particals larger than 1mm. Spiders, Mosquitoes, frogs and other creepy crawlies love water tanks so make sure all openings are covered or closed tightly.

Rainwater tanks will make big difference to your garden and water use and will cost you a lot less than you think. Rain is free so we might as well use it! So call us for delivering or installing your rainwater tanks. In the Western Cape we are about to enter the time of the year when heavy rainshowers are to be expected. Be prepared and get water tanks now!

Water facts

Water tanks, water harvesting 3 Responses »

Oct 112010

Water Facts

Some 1.1 billion people, or 18 % of the word’s population, lack access to safe drinking water, and over 2.4 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation.
More than 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die each year from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation.
A report released in early October 2009 by the Water Research Commission of South Africa found that South Africa has 4% less water than 20 years ago.
Rand Water is predicting that demand for water in South Africa will outstrip supply by 2025. It also believes that Gauteng is potentially facing a water shortage as early as 2013.
In Cape Town the scenario is not much better with a water shortage prediction by 2016
If South Africans continue with their wasteful water practices, there simply will not be enough water to meet the country’s future needs and, we may have to start paying even more for water!
South Africans can change the scenario by changing their behaviour towards water usage and becoming water wise and savvy about rainwater harvesting.

21 top water-saving tips for your home

Checking for leaks in taps, pipes and dishwasher hoses is an easy way to reduce water wastage.
Remember, one leaking tap can waste more than 2,000 lt a month.
There’s no need to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth. Simply wet your toothbrush before you begin and use a glass of water to rinse your mouth.
The most water efficient methods for cooking vegetables are microwaving, steaming or using a pressure cooker. You can also cut down on water loss by using tight lids on pots and simmering instead of boiling rapidly.
Installing water efficient taps or tap aerators is a great, inexpensive way to cut your water usage without you even noticing.
Put the plug in the sink when washing your hands instead of holding them under running water.
Thaw frozen foods before you need them or use the microwave instead of placing them under running water.
Prevent taps from leaking by turning taps off lightly and replace washers as soon as they begin to leak.
Automatic dishwashers can use up to 40 lt of water per load. By using a dishwasher with at least a 3 star/AAA rating, you can get this figure down to 18 lt per load and still get the kind of sparkling clean dishes you’re used to.
Wait until you have a full load in your dishwasher before using it. This saves water and energy, and reduces the amount of detergent entering the sewerage system.
Keep a container of water in the fridge so that you won’t need to run the water down the sink until it’s cool enough to drink.
Washing fruit and vegetables in a half-filled sink instead of under running water is a great way to cut back on water wastage.
Rinsing your dishes in a plugged sink rather than under a running tap saves water and is just as easy and effective.
Use a sink strainer.
Try to use phosphate-free, eco-friendly detergents and cleaning products. There’s a great range to choose from these days and they’re much better for our environment.
Remember to regularly clean the lint filter on your washing machine.
Most washing machines have a load adjustment button or dial, so try to set this to match the amount of washing you’re doing. If your machine doesn’t have a load adjustment function, try to wait until you have enough washing for a full load.
Installing one of the latest 3 star/AAA rating showerheads can give you a great shower and save you around 10 lt of water a minute. They also save you energy costs, as you’ll use less hot water.
To rinse your razor, run a little water into a plugged sink. Rinsing your razor under a running tap wastes lots of water.
Electric or fuel powered leaf blowers work more efficiently than hosing down paths and driveways.
Pool covers reduce the amount of water you need to keep your pool full and running efficiently.

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Rainwater harvesting is the collection, storage and distribution of rainwater and the perfect storage facility for rainwater is a water tank.
Rainwater can essentially be used anywhere you use tap water.
The idea of using drinking water to flush toilets and water lawns is wasteful and irresponsible, especially in light of the population growth and water shortages across the country.
Rainwater harvesting greens your home lessens your environmental footprint.
Rainwater is an absolutely FREE source of water.
You will reduce flooding and erosion caused by storm water run off

YOUR ROOF YOUR ALLY

1mm of rain allows you to harvest 1lt of water per m2 of roof area – just allow for a 15% wastage factor.
Make sure that your gutters are installed to direct rainwater to rain water tanks.
An annual rainfall of 500 mm on a roof surface of 50 m² amounts to 25 000-liters of potential safe drinking water that can be preserved (40-liters per day for 625 days) or wasted! In South Africa, the water allocation per day per person is 25lt

WATER SECURITY

Your water tank filled with harvested rainwater provides water security when the municipal water is cut off for any reason whatsoever. If your tank is connected to the water mains, it will act as a storage buffer and depending on the size tank installed (260 – 10 000 liter) you will have running water for up to 48 hours.”
A water tank gives you total control over your water supply
The process uses simple technologies that are inexpensive and easy to maintain
A rainwater harvesting system can be easily retrofitted to an existing structure or built during new home construction.
JoJo Tanks are available in a variety of sizes from 260lt to 20 000lt. Simply select the size most suited to your requirements and start harvesting water for security!

WHEN YOU PURCHASE A TANK

Make sure that the tank is completely sealed (naturally you need to provide for an inlet pipe or gutter) to prevent evaporation and mosquitoes from breeding
Make sure that the tank has a filter to catch leaves and twigs that flow down the gutters
Make sure your tank has an over flow

We at www.waterandsolar.co.za want South Africa to start seriously looking now at renewable energy and reduce its need for coal fired power stations. As individuals we can start in our homes by introducing a greener way of living with greywater systems, rainwater harvesting and solar water heaters. Together we can start reducing our homes carbon footprint and our need for coal hungry Eskom and municipal water.

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.

JoJo water Tank - new Slimline product - Spring special deal!

Water tanks No Responses »

Sep 162010

JoJo Slimline Water Tank for only R1649.00 (incl. VAT & delivery)

Offer only valid for George, Mosselbay and Oudtshoorn, South Africa whilst stocks last

Brand new from JoJo Tanks is a JoJo Slimline™ Tank. Perfect for rainwater harvesting and water security, this streamlined compact design is ideally suited for urban areas where space is a consideration.

METRO SEXY
The elegant JoJo Slimline is 1800mm x 750mm, holds 750lt of water and fits easily through a regular door frame. Its ergonomic design ensures that it fits around corners and down narrow walkways of urban homes. You can also simply connect a few Slimlines in a series should you wish to maximise your water storage capacity. Continue reading »

Eco-friendly Laundry

Greywater Harvesting 6 Responses »

Sep 152010

Fresh Laundry In the process of going green, people need to be informed properly; about available products and which product will suit there needs best. Before making use of your water tank and greywater for irrigation purposes, how do you go about making sure that the water being used in the garden will not be harmful to any plants or your lawn? Many atimes, when installing our Garden Rhapsody System, the questions are being raised about what laundry cleaning detergent to use and where it is distributed? Even if laundry water is not uses onto your garden, shouldn’t it be our responsibility to switch to the greener option for a healthier lifestyle and making a difference to the environment…..?

Why not use conventional laundry detergents? Continue reading »

Simply Green Anti Cancer

Green Tips No Responses »

Sep 152010

Install water tanks and start growing your own vegetables and you could reduce your chances of getting cancer, by eating inexpensive, healthy organic foods.

GARLIC has a number of compounds that protect your skin, colon’ and lungs.

DARK LEAFY GREENS full of antitioxidents called carotenoids. They search out the free radicals from the body before cancer growth can take place.

GRAPES ( and red wine) have a chemical called resvertrol. which can prevent cell damage.

GREEN TEA Flavonoids in green tea have proved to slow or even prevent colon , liver , breast and prostate cancer. Continue reading »

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