Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Developers making every effort to save precious resource in parched city
WATER-friendly developments:
Rabie’s Miguel Rodrigues says it successfully implemented water-saving measures at its Century City Square development which includes a conference centre, hotel, 15 000m² of offices, 51 apartments, restaurants and showrooms.
“Well over 80% of total water consumed in this development is recycled water.”
In addition to Rabie’s existing and new residential buildings being designed with water-saving measures, Rodrigues says the company is also investigating taking all its future commercial buildings completely off the water grid.
The long-term goal of Amdec Property Developments is to shift its Harbour Arch development offgrid in terms of energy and water consumption, says the group’s Nicholas Stopforth.
“We’re hoping to get the entire precinct self-sufficient and self-sustaining.”
The key focus of Harbour Arch, he adds, is sustainability and eco- friendly innovation, which in Cape Town right now, and for the future, means a strong focus on water saving.
“All recycled water – either rain-harvested or grey water – will be used for flushing, gardening or landscaping. The building has also been designed to harvest rain water. The water will be stored in the basement, and then distributed into the building through a filtering process.”
Water-saving will not only be a priority once the development is complete, but is part of the build
process as well.
Evergreen Lifestyle manages the water consumption in its retirement villages which, in the Western Cape, are in Bergvliet, Lake Michelle, Diep River and Muizenberg. This includes the management of water security, harvesting of rain/grey water, and waterless gardens, says Evergreen’s Cobus Bekker.
With the pressure on the city’s water resources, he says Evergreen has “for some time now” used treated effluent and borehole water during the construction of its projects.
“The treated effluent water is collected by the contractor at local municipal water treatment plants. This water is safe to use for construction and irrigation.”
In addition to the use of treated effluent water, Evergreen has also been focusing on waterless construction methods.
And it is also introducing dry-walling and related building methods to its projects to reduce water use.