Small business gears up for water curbs
SMMEs prepare for expensive and limited supply with new plans
WITH Cape Town experiencing its worst drought in more than 100 years, small businesses are preparing for expensive and limited water to become a way of life and are making their operations more water efficient.
This was according to Viresh Harduth, the vice-president of new customer acquisition at Sage Africa and Middle East.
Harduth said the long drought in the Western Cape was a wake-up call for all South Africans, who had become accustomed to readily available water.
“We live in a water-scarce country, and other provinces have suffered droughts in recent years, too. This is a national challenge that we all need to face.
“As recent reports show, solutions such as desalination plants to turn seawater into drinkable water will be neither quick nor cheap to implement. Water efficiency should thus be every small business’s priority,” he said.
Harduth said small businesses could incur charges and penalties by using more water than they were allowed under the current water restrictions, which could seriously harm their profitability.
“With the holiday season beginning, companies in the hospitality industry need to educate guests from other parts of the world about the seriousness of the water crisis and how they can help conserve water. It’s also worth noting the drought charge the city council wants to introduce for residential and business customers to make up for lower water revenues following water restrictions. Businesses should be ready for costs to rise in the years to come.”
Harduth added that small businesses could find opportunity to prosper through the drought while helping others to mitigate its effects such as waterless car washes emerging as a business opportunity.
In the shorter term, there are many steps small and medium businesses can take to contribute towards sustainable water use in South Africa, while improving the efficiency of their operations.
“South Africa is one of the 30 driest countries in the world and we can no longer take our water supply for granted.
“The government should also look at ways to incentivise water efficiency among businesses, even when we do not face immediate supply constraints.”