How can residents help to save water? How far does 6 000 free litres go?

You can help cut your own water bills - and help the environment in general - by following these tips on saving water:

• A medium sized bath, about 1 500mm or 1650mm long, is as comfortable and cleansing as a big bath, and uses a great deal less water.
• Conventional showerheads deliver water at flow rates above 25 litres/min. A perfectly pleasant shower can, however, be obtained with flow rates well below 10 litres/min. Showerheads with flow rates as low as 4,5 litres/min are available and their use will show a significant saving. Advice should be sought from a registered plumber.
• Install washbasin taps with aerator outlets. The aerator mixes air with the water, resulting in a lower flow rate (five to 10 litres per minute, which splashes less and feels quite pleasant on the skin).
• Install toilets that have cisterns with a maximum flush capacity of nine litres.
• Ensure that overflow pipes and drainpipes terminate at places where they can be readily seen and managed.
• If the kitchen is remote from the water heater, consider installing a small one (15 litre capacity) or an instantaneous type water heater at the sink.
• Consider installing a pressure control valve in your supply system to reduce the mains pressure to a maximum of 400 kPa. In many cases, a pressure of only 200 kPa will be enough to operate the water fittings effectively. This will help you save money in other ways. A pressure control valve will reduce unnecessarily high flow rates from the outlets and will increase the life of fittings, washers and the hoses on appliances. A registered plumber should be consulted to advise on these possibilities as a retrofit option.
• You're probably spending a lot on watering your garden. Indigenous plants are far less water-hungry than exotics.
• Avoid that favourite South African activity - washing down the driveway with a hosepipe. Sweeping is just as effective.
• Don't put anything down the toilet besides toilet paper.
• Fix cistern or tap leaks immediately. A leaking tap means 6 000 to 12 000 litres of water is lost every month.
• Don't dump any foreign objects into sewer manholes and gulleys.
• Don't cover manhole covers with heavy or immoveable objects.
• Consider installing modern dual flush cistern toilets. Each flush of the toilet uses 10-12 litres of water.

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Every household gets 6 000 litres of free water each month - one of the city's most important contributions to uplifting the poorest residents. But very few residents can picture what 6 000 litres actually means.
Here's an explanation:

• Every time you fill a kettle, you use around 1,5 litres of water. With 6 000 litres you can boil 4 000 kettles of water a month, to make 24 000 cups of tea.
• When you wash your dishes you use about 30 litres of water to fill your kitchen sink. With 6 000 litres you can fill the sink 200 times a month - around seven sinks full of water a day.
• Each time you run a bath you use 100 to 200 litres of water. With 6 000 litres you can bath 40 times a month.
• When you wash your clothes in an automatic washing machine you use around 50 litres each time. With 6 000 litres you can wash your clothes 120 times a month, or four loads of washing a day. That's a lot of ironing!
• Each time you flush the toilet you use between 10 to 12 litres of water. With 6 000 litres you can flush the toilet 500 times a month or 16 times a day.

If you are a member of a family of four living in a three-bedroomed house with several bathrooms, a pool and a garden, you are probably using around 60 000 to 65 000 litres a month. Your water bill will be reduced by 6 000 litres each month. If you are a member of a family of four living in a four-roomed house with one bathroom, and with a water meter, you are likely to be using 30 000 to 35 000 litres of water a month.

Note: You will be billed for your water consumption over 6 000 litres.