The Case for Water Reuse
Recently, I attended the WateReuse Symposium in Austin, Texas, the leading event on water reuse. One of the presentations that was most impactful was about Day Zero in Cape Town, South Africa.
Day Zero Scenario
What is Day Zero? Day Zero is when the water will be switched off for millions of people and the remaining water in the city’s supply will be used only for critical services such as hospitals. In short, the city has basically run out of water. Fortunately, the original date of Day Zero that was set for April 12, 2018 has been pushed out to at least 2019. One of the major factors for the change of the date was that the government and its citizens implemented major changes to their water habits and infrastructure.
Simon Zimmer is Caloris Business Development Manager for Water Recovery.
Some of the changes include:
- Restricting immediate and short term water usage
- Repairing leaks in the water distribution system
- Installing water management devices
- Implementing a media campaign to educate people on proper water reuse and introduced the idea of 2 minute showers.
- Gaining support from local businesses to conserve water where possible
- Publicizing and shaming high water users
In early 2018, the city of Cape Town restricted water use to 50 liters per person per day. 50 liters is used for:
9 liters = Dish Washing
10 liters = Shower
1 liter = Pets
2 Liters = Washing hands and teeth
9 liters = Toilets
10 liters = Laundry
5 Liters = House Cleaning
1 Liter = Cooking
3 Liters = Drinking
Total: 50 liters
How Can Water Reuse Help?
These restrictions may seem strict, however, as climate change causes more drought around the world, these limits will become more common in many cities. Therefore, it is important that cities and industries change their water habits sooner than later. Additionally, Cape Town is currently identifying potential ways to reuse its water. Water reuse can be an excellent way to reduce water demand and water discharge for a plant. This helps you save money and reduce the burden on the environment. Caloris offers an array of industrial wastewater treatment system solutions, including water reuse systems. Please contact us to learn more.
This blog post was written by Caloris Business Development Manager for Water Recovery Simon Zimmer. You can contact Simon via email for more information or call Caloris at 410-822-6900.
(Image Credit: MaxPixel)