Are South African's water guzzlers?
Labelling the SA person in Gauteng as a water guzzler is not only untrue but disingenuous based on the numbers below comparing apples with apples. We cannot change behaviour of society when not stating facts. The USA is at over 300 lppd and Canada at 329 lppd which are nearly double the world average quoted even after subtracting their 20% NRW.
Global lppd quoted at 170 lppd minus global NRW 30% average = 119 lppd
SA's Gautengers quoted at 270 lppd minus actual NRW 47% = 143 lppd (only 20% more with large industry, typically uses between 15% to 25% in the metros, included in the SA numbers and highly variable in the global averages quoted.)
So, it's true that the average per capita consumption after muni wastages and inefficiencies are way below the 170 lppd target and probably around 121 lppd after deducting GP's 15% (it probably is much higher)?industrial usage. Can we reduce further down to 119 lppd is not feasible in my opinion, as I believe we are already there,?when comparing ourselves to other hot and water scarce regions like Australia currently quoted at 274 lppd minus 10% NRW equals 247 lppd, I would argue strongly that SA is ahead of the curve.
So, whereto now as SA's folk are accused of guzzling water when they in actual fact are not at all and very allergic to such statements making water stewardship even more difficult than it needs to normally be.
The most troubled metro's are eThekwini, Joburg and Tshwane with between 40% to 57% NRW making the metros by far the largest single user of water that is wasted and the losses billed to all the paying clients to balance the books, this is not only harsh on the households, it's also dissuading manufacturing industries from staying in SA and FDI from considering our country.
Its time for the facts to be laid down, government to be held accountable and society to ensure that it follows through on the accountability that we pay for dearly. The economic multiplier for water infrastructure is reportedly between four to eight times, so SA can leverage this to boost our ailing economy once we figure out how to do so and stop blaming the innocent consumer.
Environmental Social Sustainable Development
1 个月Impact Evaluation on our water shortages in Gauteng shows that policy changes needs to be address,. Effectiveness on interventions over the last ten years did not reached its goals, the impact that relevance, depth of change, scale of change and sustainability have was devastated and under performed. It boils down to uninformed, unskilled governance or neglect which is a derelict of Human Rights.
Founder and CEO at Hennops River Revival and Deep Water Movement, Ambassador for the Nation, Saving the World is on my list of things to DO!
1 个月Benoit Le Roy great, genuine perspective my friend ??
Project Manager FORMWORK/SCAFFOLDING
1 个月Fix all the leaks and then we can chat about perceptions and decide if they are real or myth. Many people I know here in the cape are showing with a bucket to catch one "flush", many people are harvesting rainwater, I personally have 10000l storage capacity which I use. As for leaks, I live in the WC, in my road for 21 years, I cannot recall one day without a pipe burst and leak in my road.
Helping South African Youth Access a Brighter Future | Senior Copywriter | English | Afrikaans | DALF C2 French Proficiency |
1 个月I'd also add that many South Africans have a healthy appreciation for the scarcity of water. Got to experience this in Cape Town in 2018 to 2019, during the water scare. Folks pulled together and made the most of what little was on offer.
Consultant and Project Manager. NNBP - The South African Nuclear New Build Programme. Eskom RFI GEN3281
1 个月Our authorities must get their act together.