Page 31 - Silver Lakes_Issue 10_2022

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LEVEL 2 WATER RESTRICTIONS:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

he drop in Gauteng’s reservoir The scorching heat has arrived, and so • If you prefer to bath, do not fill up the
levels prompted Rand Water to has the need for abundant water. This is bathtub. Taking a bath can use between
Timplement water restrictions the season when water is top of mind. 80 and 150 litres of water per bath.
in mid-October. Residents were urged People try various ways of saving it during • Use low-flow showerheads, dual-flush
to reduce their consumption so that summer because it is used for so many toilet mechanisms and water-efficient
reservoirs and towers that were critically activities, from cooking to washing to washing machines.
low in water could be replenished. gardening. • Kettles should not be filled to the brim
but with just enough water for your
The utility implemented these restrictions The cold, hard fact is that fresh water is needs. This will reduce your electricity
to help conserve our precious water a scarce resource the world over. This is bill, too.
resources. Water levels dropped due to why we all need to consider our situation • Do not overfill containers like cooking
demand, consumption and delayed rains. and ensure that we use water efficiently. It pots as this may result in the use of more
Load shedding by Eskom also hampered starts in the home. energy to heat the water.
the pumping of much-needed water in • Reducing the toilet flush volume alone
Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, Here are a few simple tips on how to can save 20% of total water consumption.
and in some areas taps had already run conserve water: This can be done by putting a two-litre
dry. cold-drink bottle, filled with water and a
In and around your house or business little sand to add weight, into the cistern.
What level 2 water restrictions mean: • Turn off the tap when washing your • Fix a leaking toilet; otherwise, it can
• No irrigation or watering of gardens face, brushing your teeth or shaving. waste up to 100 000 litres of water in one
with a hosepipe or irrigation systems. • Taking a five-minute shower a day year.
• No using of a hosepipe to clean instead of a bath will use a third of the • Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily.
driveways or patios. water that you’d use bathing – and save Dispose of tissues, insects and other
• No washing of vehicles with a hosepipe. you up to 400 litres a week. waste in the rubbish bin rather than the
• No filling or topping up of swimming • Showering can use up to 20 litres of toilet. Every time you flush the toilet,
pools or water features. water per minute. 12 litres of water is used.

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