Category: Saving Water

Water challenged

Read this title free on the website

Right now those of us living in Gauteng might be feeling a bit complacent because we are not facing a severe water crisis like they are in Cape Town (and other parts of the country)  – but that does not mean that we have water to waste.

We should all get used to using water as sparingly as possible.

Make it a habit to save all those drops that are so easy to waste. Turn the taps off when brushing teeth, do the mellow yellow thing, make sure the washing machine is full before switching it on and ensure that there are no leaky pipes or taps in the house.

That’s the least we can do.

If you are planning a trip to Cape Town, be considerate. Don’t think you can rock up and waste their water because you will have left after a few days and the dire situation won’t affect you in the slightest.

If you are visiting family – buy-in water for your needs and be ultra-considerate with every drop you use out of the tap. In fact – don’t use those taps if you can possibly help it.

Think about taking your own sheets, or sleeping bag, with you and bring them back again to wash. Sounds crazy right? Not really – the guesthouse or your friends or relations would really appreciate such a gesture. You might even get a discount. Organise it with your hosts before you go.

Wash your hair before you leave and make sure you stick to the showering time rules. Even better – skip that shower if you can!

Take enough clothes to last the duration of your trip without needing to have them washed.

Don’t ask for a glass of water at a restaurant – they are also severely water challenged.

So are the shopping centres – don’t assume you can use their bathrooms – many of them are now closed.

Lastly – don’t share fake news or make cruel jokes about the water situation – especially around children.

The other day Ginny’s 5 year old granddaughter, Isabella, asked her mom if they were going to die when their water ran out. It was obviously a real fear uppermost in her mind. She was very relieved to hear that if things got too bad they could always move in with GG in Gauteng.

Be positive and considerate.

Every drop counts!

Sibo

xxx

Happy Days

Hope you all had a very HAPPY Human Rights Day on the 21st of March. Did you know it was also International Day of Forests on the same day? The 20th was International Day of Happiness.  I guess most people in South Africa were really happy on that day because they knew that the next day was a public holiday.

The 22nd of March is World Water Day.  Luckily we no longer have water restrictions because our dams are much fuller than they were at the end of last year, but poor old Cape Town is in a terrible mess.  They actually only have a few days of water left. Everybody there is saving water like crazy.

We all take water for granted but it really is very precious stuff. Without it we would all die. It is a simple as that.

Often people say that your body is made up of 95% of water. This is not true – babies typically have around 78% body water when they are born, but this drops down to 65% by the time they turn one year old. From then on it just gets less.  Elderly people have around 50% of water in their bodies. Also men have more water than women do.

Did you know that when you are feeling thirsty – you have already lost a percentage of your body water and are on your way to being dehydrated?  These are the symptoms of dehydration: dark urine, joint or muscle sores, crankiness, constipation, fatigue and dry lips.

In honour of World Water Day we are making my book “Sibo Saves Water” available to read freely on the website for the rest of the month. Just click on the link above and then click on the cover of the book.  If you have trouble opening it, try a different browser – it seems like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox do not open this file at the moment. If you ever wondered where water comes from, what happens to it and where it goes to…  read this book.

Please remember to still save water where ever you can. The really easy ways are to take a shorter shower, wash your car with a bucket instead of a hose pipe (yes – I know it’s not such fun but it really does save a lot of water) and water your garden either early in the morning or later in the evening. You can also recycle your bath water into the garden – but don’t use that “grey” water on your veggie garden please.

Have a great week!

Sibo