P Uys on schools water project

31 March 2009

Promising results were realised at three Karoo schools with hostels after
the provincial government installed water efficiency fittings to assist with
saving this precious resource. The results after a year revealed water savings
of about 15 to 35% could be possible.

The Provincial Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and
Development Planning, Pierre Uys, has announced today that the pilot project
will be extended to ten other schools with high water consumption in Mitchells
Plain and Khayelitsha.

The project is part of the overall programme of the department, which aims
at reducing the carbon footprint of the province through various efforts to
reduce waste and be energy and water efficient. This is part of adapting under
the Western Cape Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

This project is the first of its kind to be undertaken by the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, and the co-operation of the
school's management and that of the local authorities in the spirit of
co-operative governance, and its interface with educators, learners and the
community.

Water is one of the most vulnerable resources in the province under
accelerated climate change and due to strong demand as a result of growth.

Minister Uys says: "We all have to learn to adapt our ways, conserve as much
as possible in order for more people to be sustained for longer on our
available resources. Without water conservation now, the water crisis in the
already drier parts of the Western Cape is likely to increase in the future.
Additionally water conservation conserves energy (with regard to heating less
water in the homes and industries as well as the use of pumps) and resources
such as money, chemicals and manpower that go into the treatment of larger
volumes of raw and effluent sewage, and expensive waste water treatment
plants."

The purpose of this comprehensive project was to quantify and demonstrate
the water savings that can be achieved by fitting schools with water efficiency
devices in taps, showers and toilets. These are mostly very simple and low cost
devices that restrict and decrease the water flow, thereby reducing
consumption. The involvement by the department through this initiative drives
the awareness created around recycling and waste management. It shows that
adaptation is possible by implementing changes geared towards reducing water
consumption in schools.

The Karoo area was chosen for the pilot because it is a water scarce area.
The schools, and their hostels, that were retrofitted are: Laingsburg High
School, Teske Primary School in Beaufort West and Bridgton Secondary School in
Oudtshoorn.

The activities that were planned for this water efficiency campaign included
the following: A retrofit/replacement of all inefficient taps, showerheads and
toilets with more efficient water saving devices or interventions; an audit of
the water use at the schools and the hostels before and after the intervention
to demonstrate the effectiveness of this initiative; and developing awareness
and technical capacity of the maintenance staff, supervisors and decision
makers of these buildings with regard to fitting more efficient water saving
devices in the future.

The cost of such fittings could be recovered from savings within a few
months to two years. The savings varied between R1 270 to R6 100 per year. This
is based on average figures for the year preceding the retrofits to the year
following the intervention.

Because of the positive outcomes of this project at these schools, the
project was expanded into the Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha areas in
2008/09.

Schools with high water consumption were selected. Five schools in Mitchells
Plain and five schools in Khayelitsha were identified. These schools did not
have hostels, as the vast majority of urban schools do not provide hostel
accommodation. The cost for retrofitting all of the ten schools was R44
100.

An additional amount of R4 470 was spent to purchase and fit the water
saving devices for Spine Road High School. Water consumption will be monitored
at all the retrofitted schools in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain throughout
the next financial year in order to calculate the savings.

Minister Uys calls on all people to join hands in saving resources to save
the planet. "Every little bit adds up in the bigger picture. If it is just to
close or fix that dripping tap or use less water to do our daily work, when put
together it could fill a large pond."

Enquiries:
Cobus Grobler
Cell: 073 133 7299

Minister Uys
Cell: 082 455 5144

Issued by: Department of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and
Development Planning, Western Cape Provincial Government
31 March 2009