You may have heard that Cape Town is experiencing a drought that has left dam levels worryingly low. And while travellers should be assured that they are still welcome to visit the city, if you are planning a trip to Cape Town and wondering how you can help saving water there are a lot of simple practices you can employ to help reduce water consumption. There are already many accommodation establishments which have made the necessary changes to limit non-essential water use. While you are enjoying Cape Town’s Highlights, you can do your bit in helping the city save water:
★ Limit your showers to 90 seconds.
Even though most of us love taking a long, relaxing bath, this is a big no go and many hotels have already completely taken away this opportunity by removing the plugs from bathtubs. To fill a bath you need around 80 litres of water, while a 90-second shower only uses around 18 litres.
★ Every shower and basin should have a bucket to collect water that can be used in the garden or to flush the toilet.
This is a measure that only takes a few extra minutes a day but makes a big difference in order to reduce water usage.
★ Report leaking taps and toilets as soon as you notice them.
Fixing any leaks could result in saving about 400 – 2600 litres of water per month! Therefore if you recognise any of them, do not hesitate and report it to your contact person.
★ Try to flush the toilet as little as possible.
Because each flush uses 6 to 14 litres of water, depending on which kind of toilet you have your new rule of thumb is: If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down. You may feel unpleasant leaving anything in the loo for strangers, but always remember that you can have a big impact on helping Cape Town’s people with your behaviour.
★ Reuse towels and control your washing loads.
Instead of asking for new towels daily, hang them up and reuse them. The same also applies for laundry if your accommodation has this possibility. Therefore you should try to wait until you possess enough laundry for a full wash, instead of washing single items.
★ Use a cup to rinse your mouth when you brush your teeth rather than letting the tap run.
By always turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, washing your hair or shaving you can easily save up to 9 litres of water.
