In these dire times that we find ourselves in, where loadshedding has become part of our day-to-day life and we anxiously anticipate the inevitable family meeting announcing yet another lockdown level. I’m sure we don’t need to be reminded of how traumatic this pandemic has been on all of us these past two years and now we must contend with yet another crisis. A water crisis to be exact.
“We are about to start experiencing watershedding” says Olwethu Leshabane.
Yes, we will soon find ourselves sharing water the same way we have been forced to share electricity!
“Art of Superwoman is partnering with JoJo Tanks so that we can start having the necessary conversations around the impending water crisis.” Adds Leshabane.
Starting from Monday 15th November, Rand water has announced that there will be a 54 hour water shutdown in parts of Gauteng. According to Rand water, “our bulk water supplier is working on its raw water pipe that supplies the Vereeniging water purification plant. As a result, the purification plant will not be operational from 15th November 2021 for a period of 54 hours.”
The impending shutdown will affect the water supply from the Rand Water Eikenhof pump station to the South of Johannesburg, the CBD and the Northern and Western areas .
So What Exactly Is Water Scarcity?
Water scarcity can be defined as the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demand of water usage within a certain region.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), physical water scarcity occurs when there is not enough water to meet all demands, or inadequate natural water resources to supply a region’s demand. Water scarcity can be attributed to four things:
- Climate-driven water scarcity – Climate-driven water scarcity can be defined as the lack of sufficient available water resources, due to the change and forever-changing climate
- Demand-driven water scarcity – Demand-driven water scarcity can be defined as the overuse of water resources by all sectors and people relative to the available water resource in that region.
- Population-driven water scarcity – Water shortage can be thought of as population-driven scarcity, while water stress is seen more as demand-driven. Even with a small water demand, if the population is high and water availability low, a shortage can occur.
- Pollution-driven water scarcity – Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of big water bodies like groundwater, rivers, lakes, and oceans, due to human interference. One of the major causes of water scarcity is rampant water pollution in many developing regions.
`
Water is a precious resource, and an essential key component of our ecosystem. All living things, plants, animals, and humans included need water to live and carry out various cellular activities.
The scarcity of good quality water is a big cause for concern, however, rainwater which is pure and of good quality, can be used for washing, bathing, cleaning, cooking, irrigation and also for livestock requirements.
This is where JoJo comes to the rescue. JoJo rainwater harvesting solution is one of the best followed and practised methods to support the conservation of water.
What is Rainwater Harvesting?
Rainwater harvesting is the process or technology used to conserve/reserve rainwater by collecting, conveying and purifying rainwater from rooftops, parks, roads, and open grounds, for later use.
How to Harvest the rainwater?
The process of rainwater harvesting has been made easy by JoJo Tanks, and it involves the collecting and storing of rainwater with the help of designed systems that run off naturally, or man-made catchment areas like rooftops, compounds, rock surfaces, hillslopes, and land surfaces.
Rainwater harvesting systems usually consist of the following components:
Catchment – Which is used to collect and store the captured rainwater.
Conveyance system – This is used to transport the harvested water from the catchment to the recharge zone.
Flush – This is used to flush out the first spell of rain.
Filter – This is used for filtering the captured & collected rainwater and removing any pollutants.
Tanks and the Recharge structures – This is what is used to store the filtered water which is ready for usage.
In the process of rainwater harvesting, several factors play a key role in the amount of water harvested, some of these factors include:
- The amount/volume of runoff.
- The features of the catchments.
- Impact on the environment in your area.
- The availability of the technology.
- The types of roofs, its slopes and its material etc.
- The frequency, quantity, and the quality of the rainfall.
Don’t worry, we are going to get into a more detailed breakdown of all of this in the upcoming weeks.
With the looming water scarcity in South Africa, and the rising cost of water, rainwater harvesting has never been more vital. Here are some benefits to investing in JoJo’s rainwater harvesting solutions:
- Less cost (besides the initial payment for installation etc. it is cheaper in the long run).
- Helps in reducing the water bill.
- Decreases the demand for water.
- Reduces the need for imported water.
- Promotes water & energy conservation.
- Improves the quality and quantity of groundwater.
- The technology is simple to install and maintain.
In conclusion rainwater harvesting is a sustainable process that helps the preservation of water for future needs, with scarcity being a major concern in today’s climate, the process of rainwater harvesting is a good way to conserve water.
Stay tuned for more JoJo tips and solutions, as we continue raising more awareness and providing you with the necessary information and solutions around this issue.
For now, head over to Olwethu Leshabane’s Instagram page and stand a chance to win with JoJo!
Hi Olwethu. My name is Mamello.
My husband and bought a house about a year ago when we discovered that we will then be a family of three😊.
The first time i read your article talking about water scarcity, i thought, true,but. Maybe years down the line😂.i promise you.
But strangely, the article kept on ringing at the back of my mind.
And i told him about it.
Just this week when we were both getting ready for work we heard the announcement on the news and i kid you not, we both remebered the conversation we had about you and your article.
In short, we promise to take your articles more seriously.
Thank you mama❤
Learnt a lot from this post. When I was young we used to harvest rain water by just putting tanks at different corners of the house. We didn’t purify the water at all and it was for drinking 😂 My mom was already saving up to buy the Jojo tank.. Entering this competition on her behalf😁
So informative.
Very necessary topic regardless of location . I live in the semi rural areas of Limpopo. I have a borehole system which fills my 5000lt Jojo tank which is used for all our household needs . There is no municipal/ water supply around , and I am glad I invested my money on the borehole because we are far from receiving any water soon .
Ohhhh my God.. You really taking me back to school… Talking about sustainable development at its high peak.
This is the only we can conserve our waters for future use.
Climate change is really here and with South Africa lacking so much in terms of new technologies, the worst is yet to come.
#POWER
#WATERCONSERVATION
This is so informative, thanks Olwesh!
meant to type *Olwethu 😅