Jump into the off-grid water game with the newest aquatech.
Story time
I have just survived 8 whole days without water. And I was one of the lucky ones. I have a rainwater harvesting tank to flush the loo’s and do the dishes, the financial ability to buy drinking water and a swimming pool to wash off the grubbiest grime from me, my kids and my muddy pawed pooches. Because yes, despite the lack of water in our taps, we had a whole week of torrential rain, making the need for a hot bath so much worse.
Anyway: This got me thinking.
Solar power is one thing, and most South Africans understand it, are saving to get it, or already have it. But what about having your own independent water supply? Isn’t that the sensible next step to self sufficiency in a country that has had a terrible infrastructure maintenance track record over the past 30 years?
Talk is cheap.
Its easy to wax lyrical about rainwater harvesting and grey water systems, but what do these things mean, practically, for the average South African household?
First step is to estimate your daily, weekly or monthly water needs.
The average South African four-person household who does their own laundry can use anything between 300 and 800litres of water a day.
This means that on average, for a South African household to claim to be “Off-grid” when it comes to water, you will need anything between 9000 and 24 000litres of usable water per month. To put that in perspective…it’s about five of the big green JoJo tanks, each month!
Not the fix you need.
Thus far it isn’t possible to generate your own water…we’re pretty dependant on municipal providers for this. But with the right setup of rainwater harvesting and purification, you could reduce your municipal account significantly. (As long as the weather plays along…)
So basically, if you are lucky enough to have the space and resources for an array of storage tanks you will need to fill and keep them full somehow, install appropriate pumps and filtration systems and even then, you won’t be guaranteed fresh water 24/7 because who knows when the municipality stops pumping again?
What about a borehole?
Simply drill down into an underground aquiver and start pumping your own water straight from the earth. You’ll completely skip out on paying for municipal water, you’ll bypass the public water pumping infrastructure and be able to rely on your own private pump to get your water into your home. Sounds like the perfect solution.
Well…Not really.
As great as it sounds to get “fresh” water from underground reservoirs, its not always the case. There is a very real likelihood that the water can be contaminated by agricultural runoff and pesticides, Industries and a number of other contaminants that can range from being dangerous to your health, to simply being unpleasant and a nuisance. Iron oxide for example leaves a reddish stain.
Filtration is key.
Whether you use harvested rainwater or borehole water, you will need to ensure that it is safe for drinking and doesn’t contain any corrosive elements that might negatively impact your plumbing, appliances, health, and wellbeing. The most common means of filtration or treatment to ensure that water is safe for human consumption is Chlorination, Reverse Osmosis, and Ultraviolet Filtering. For a full breakdown of what these methods entail, click here.
We like these filtration systems best:
Either way, you’ll need a pump!
Whether you bulk store your water above ground, or get it from below ground, you will need a pump to run your water supply and get those precious drops where you need them. This is easily solved by contacting one of the hundreds of South African water pump suppliers and installers…
Here’s a quick guide to just a few local pump guys:
It doesn’t matter if you choose borehole or tank system – the truth, inconvenient as it might be, is that the world is heading towards a water crisis.
So, whatever your solution might be, the most sensible thing you can do is to start limiting your water needs. The less water we waste, the longer our taps will flow. And isn’t that the point?
