How to save water in Namibia

With the current drought tightening its grip on the country, we as Namibians need to buckle down and conserve water wherever we can.  And despite tips and tales for preserving water that appear all over the country, we thought to compile a list that can work as a solid ground work for you to use. To begin we thought of a few obvious ones:

1. Check taps and pipes for leaks.
2. Install water-saving shower heads. Where a standard shower head uses between 15 and 25 litres of water per minute - a water saving shower head uses as little as 6 to 7 litres per minute. Local stores such as Pupkewitz and CTM will definitely be able to point you in the right direction.

    

   Shower head
3. Keep your showers short and sweet, ideally under 5 minutes.
4. Don’t keep the water running while you’re brushing your teeth.
5. Plant water-wise indigenous plants and succulent plants such as aloes, etc. Add some mulch around the beddings to retain more water and your garden will be looking refreshed in no time.
6. Only water your garden when necessary.
7. Don’t discard ‘dirty’ water – it can be used to water your plants too.
8. Avoid taking baths – as this uses a lot of water.
9. Only flush the toilet when necessary. If you place a brick into the toilets cistern it could save an additional 3 litres per flush!
10. Keep drinking water in the fridge, to avoid letting the water run from the tap until its cool enough to drink.
11. Avoid washing your car with a hose pipe, a bucket and cloth are just as effective.
12. Only use the washing machine/dish washer to wash full loads.

Saving water can be fun, if you are creative. Turn a short shower into a game, by giving yourself a set time to beat. This will keep your showers short and will effectively save water. And remember that reusing bath/dish washing water also offers a convenient way to keep your gardens alive.

If you have any other water-wise ways to save, please share them with us in the comment section below.

Author – Jescey Visagie is a proud Namibian and is passionate about writing and language. Tag along for the ride as she tries to uncover new insights into Namibia and explores what the country has to offer.