Water-wise tips that save costs too

IN LIGHT of the lowering dam levels due to the warm weather and long period of low rainfall, all consumers are requested to use water sparingly.

All consumers are advised to use the following water-saving tips in order to reduce their water consumption until the dam levels have improved:

Indoor water saving tips

ýWash only full loads of laundry in your washing machine or full loads of dishes in your dishwasher.

ý Minimize faucet use when shaving, brushing teeth and washing dishes.

ýShorten your shower time to five minutes or less to save big on water and energy costs.

ýTake showers instead of baths. A bathtub holds up to 189 litres of water, while a typical shower uses less than 76 litres.

ýAvoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissue and other similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet.

ýDon’t pre-rinse dishes. Check to see if your dishwasher can clean dishes without pre-rising them.

ýReuse clean household water. Collect all the water that is wasted while waiting for the hot water to reach your faucet or showerhead. Use this to water your houseplants or outdoor planters.

Outdoor water saving tips

ýFix leaking faucets and toilets. Research has shown that an average of 8% or more of all home water use is wasted through leaks.

Drippings faucets can be quickly identified and repaired but other leaks are less obvious.

Testing for leaks is easy. For example, test for a leaking toilet by putting a few drops of food colouring into the water tank. If the colouring appears in the bowl, you have a leak. that needs repairing.

ýSweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing with water.

ý Trees, shrubs and perennials, if well-established and well-placed, need less water than newly planted ones.

ýCheck for soil moisture before watering. Dig into the soil with a trowel a few inches. If it feels moist, hold off. ýWater deeply, but infrequently. Wetting the soil surface without getting water to the root is pointless. The goal is to keep roots moist. But don’t overdo it.

Then, let the top few inches of the soil dry out between watering so the roots can breath.

ýMinimise evaporation loss by watering early in the day or late at night, and when the wind is calm.

ýAdjust sprinklers to avoid watering unnecessary areas such as driveways.

ýAdjust watering to weather conditions.

ýMulch-mow your lawn. Set your mower higher at two inches and leave the clippings, which help retain moisture.

Consider letting your lawn go dormant. Water deeply only once a month to keep it alive.

To prevent runoff, you may need to water a short time, wait a few minutes, and then restart. Be sure to target areas that receive heavy foot traffic, since dormant grass can be damaged by heavy wear.

ýAll consumers are urged to report visible and suspected pipe bursts.

For more tips visit the GO! & Express website at: https://www.goexpress.co.za/

Contact: Mdantsane: (043) 704-9860/1

King William’s Town: (043) 604-8606/(040) 608-3100

East London: (043) 705-9234/5/6

After Hours: Toll Free 086-111-3017