Pushing to save water? Drop a block in your toilet cistern
Category Newsletter: Did you know?
Drop-the-Block is based on the principle of displacing just enough water to still enable the toilet to flush. As most of our water is obtained from rainfall, we are susceptible to sustained water stressed situations caused by prolonged periods of below average rainfall within a season.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is calling on all South Africans to make lifestyle changes to reduce water consumption and stretch the water drop.
In their efforts to assist all citizens to reduce the use of water, the DWS is running a campaign promoting water use efficiency called Drop-the-Block. This campaign highlights the benefits of dropping a plastic block into your toilet cistern to help reduce the volume of water used when you flush it.
Currently, cisterns hold 9 to 15 litres of clean drinking water which is dispensed with each flush. This varies with dual flush toilets which dispense about 55% (5 to 8 litres) of water for the smaller mechanism and 95% (8.5 to 14 litres) for the larger mechanism. Currently, cisterns hold 9 to 15 litres of clean drinking water which is dispensed with each flush.
The intervention is immediate, and requires little technical skill for installation.
Drop-the-Block Explained
1. The block is made from recycled plastic to prevent erosion.
2. It is weighed down with sand and can displace up to 2 litres of water.
3. Old cisterns hold about 9 to 15 litres of clean water. After dropping the block into the cistern, a household of four who go to the toilet four times a day, can save up to 32 litres of water per day.
4. The block is also portable, solid and durable.
5. The installation of the block aims to achieve a drop in the amount of water used per household, the amount of money spent on water bills and the impact of cleaning water for potable use.
International norms for energy consumption show that in developed countries, water supplies consume between 2% and 3% of all energy produced. It also reduces the costs of getting the water to the user.
The block installation also reduces non-revenue water, which is close to 40% of the total input water volume in South Africa.
Water Saving Tips
1. Turn the tap off between washing your face, brushing your teeth or shaving.
2. Take a 2-minute shower a day, instead of a bath. While taking these shorter showers, turn off the water while soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse.
3. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.
4. Kettles shouldn’t be filled to the brim but with just enough water for your needs.
5. Make sure you put a full load into your washing machine and dishwasher before starting a wash cycle.
Article courtesy of www.westerncape.gov.za.
Author: Propery24
