Shower heads to the rescue

Helping tourists to save water

AS the Western Cape’s water crisis intensifies and with a 20% increase in tourists expected, the provincial Department of Economic Opportunities and Development has come up with a unique way to save water.

The Water Saving Tourism Industry Campaign will see the department distributing 2 300 low-flow shower heads that save water and electricity to guesthouses, B&Bs and Airbnbs across the province. This could save at least 70 million litres of water a year.

The department will partner with CapeNature and Airbnb to distribute the shower heads.

Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde said that to ensure tourists had information on saving water , the campaign would also include the distribution of mirror decals for display in tourism establishment bathrooms.

Airbnb regional market consultant for Sub-Saharan Africa Velma Corcoran said they would help distribute 500 of the 2 300 shower heads to their hosts.

“Airbnb is taking this campaign very seriously. We are going to be making water-saving heads to every Airbnb host in Cape Town and we have created a signup page on our website,” Corcoran said.

Winde said the provincial government, municipalities and tourism officers would host awareness events along the N2, N1 and N7.

“We will be distributing about 20 000 hand sanitisers, branded with water-saving tips. Through this event, we will be welcoming tourists into our province and making sure that they are aware of the crisis,” he said.

The MEC also said: “In early December, we will launch our radio campaign to raise awareness among local businesses. Our campaign will be commending businesses who are reducing and recycling their own

CAMPAIGN WILL BE COMMENDING BUSINESSES WHO ARE REDUCING AND RECYCLING THEIR OWN WATER USAGE

water usage.”

Wesgro chief executive Tim Harris said the shower heads would be a small, but measurable way, to contributing to the province’s water-saving efforts.

“We realised that water scarcity is going to be a long-term problem and therefore a long-term solution was needed,” he said.

Chief executive at CapeNature Dr Razeena Omar said they would be proactive and support the campaign.