lace. Our complaints and requests for mulch fall on deaf ears and no ground cover is planted to help knit the soil together. Mulch is anything that can cover up the soil to keep the ground cool and moist. Even gravel can be used as it helps the water to seep down into the soil. We need to plant small groups of new seedlings into what I call a “bakkie” or dish, dug into the soil with a raised edge around it like a dam wall. Fill it with compost and cover with mulch or gravel then all it needs is a good splash of water from a bucket once in a while.
Credit: Sue VisserWe are told to grow more succulents and drought resistant or what they call water wise plant species with good root systems that can store water. Having a smaller garden is also helpful. A big garden with a sprawling lawn is going to be a challenge if you don’t have a bore hole. Grey water (from showers, baths and laundry) will have to be distributed far and wide wherever possible. 50% of our personal water consumption is going down the drain, so rather use it to save your garden. Ask for an expert to help you set up a modified system of pipes and low pressure sprinklers to do the job. It is illegal to store grey water or allow it to lie around in puddles because it does contain bacteria. So use it with discretion.
Hose pipes versus watering cans
I did a study on comparative flow rates to find out how much water is used to fill a watering can or bucket versus hose time. The efficacy of the watering process was also taken into account. One watering can holding 12 litres takes ½ minute to fill with a tap fully open and 1 minute to fill if the tap is half open. In other words, 1 minute with the tap half open provides enough water for 2 watering cans (24 litres) or the same hose pipe time required to water a small courtyard garden.
With a watering can the same area needed 4 – 6 refills to do the job. More than double the water and it took me at least 8 times longer. A lot of water rolled off the dry soil and landed on the paving. In other words, with my hose pipe I use half the water to evenly spray the foliage, soak the soil and save myself 7 minutes!
Credit: Sue VisserSo if you are a frail old lady who can’t even lift a bucket of water, it is worth considering where we are really wasting most of our water. By paying attention to leaky taps and even toilet cisterns and taking shorter showers at longer intervals or recycling grey water you prevent a lot more hidden wastage than merely banning hosepipes. Use a makeshift gadget to recycle grey water even if it uses hosepipes! For washing cars, buckets are enough and less water is consumed that way. Best of all, is to wash the car on the lawn and waste not a drop of water.
The tooth brushing ritual and the best solution
The way we brush our teeth tells all! Fluoride is not a substance that is safe for a grey water system. We are constantly reminded not to leave the tap running while we clean our teeth. Do we really need to wet the toothpaste or the toothbrush before we use it? Some people squeeze the toothpaste onto their finger and pop it into their mouth before scrubbing. The mug that holds your tooth brush and toothpaste can be used instead. Fill it with water, wet the toothbrush, rinse and clean the toothbrush after using it. Take as long as you like and only consume 250 ml of water as opposed to 3 – 8 litres if the tap is left running all the time. When we used to go camping, a mug of water was all we ever needed to brush our teeth.
A brick in the toilet is not always the best option
As a gesture, we are asked to place a brick in the toilet cistern to save water. This means that less water is used to flush away your personal load. If the burden is too large and bobs back in triumph, a second (or third) flush is required. Experts on conservation now tell us that the brick trick can damage the delicate mechanism within most of our modern toilets. Most of them have a duel flush system that helps to prevent excessive flushing and they use 6 – 9 litres. Older toilets release a full 13 litres and placing 2 bricks or p