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Originally appears in the Fall 2021 issue.

By Alison van Tonder

It takes consistent, daily effort to either develop a new habit or break an old one. During 2017–2018, in Cape Town, South Africa we were about to become the first city in the world to run out of water. “Day Zero” was fast approaching (reaching a dam capacity of 13.5% and turning off the city’s main water supply to homes) and we were dreading the day when we would have to queue for water every day. Thankfully, the residents and municipality responded swiftly, and we successfully averted the crisis. I would like to tell you exactly how we did it in our households, so that you as a citizen, an educator, and/or an activist can also help avert water crises with strategic practical solutions.

For the educators, while the content here is suitable for a public campaign for all ages, I have also successfully facilitated this initiative with primary school learners between the ages of 9–13 years old. From a curriculum developer’s perspective, the learners will benefit from and grasp the content the most when they implement the steps for themselves in their own homes and live on 50 liters a day.

Start with a “reality check”

The truth is water is becoming scarce. For many of us, most things, including our favorite beverages, are often readily available and accessible. A shortage is often a foreign concept.

Initially, that’s how most people in Cape Town thought about water. We took it for granted that it would always be there. We also demonstrated wasteful behaviour.

When it dawned on us that we were in serious trouble, we drastically started to change our behavior towards using water. The legislative water restrictions were strict and compelled us to urgently reduce our consumption or face severe penalties. For example, swimming pool covers were compulsory. As a result, the citizens united, we rolled up our sleeves, and we began to save our city. In our household, our water consumption went from 200 liters per person per day to 30 liters.

Don’t just stand there — do something

Two years after the water crisis was successfully averted, our family relocated from Cape Town to Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth), which is another city in South Africa. To our horror, we encountered yet another water crisis. As a result, our family has experienced two water crises in two cities over a course of five years, and in 2021, we are still living on 50 liters of water per person per day.

Everyone must be on board. In Cape Town, residents collected rain, grey, and natural spring water and recycled it, whether in the buckets or refuse bins, from downpipes, into water tanks, etc. 

We tend to be quick to stand up for our human rights and teach theory about the pillars of the constitution to our children, but are we also quick to roll up our sleeves when our environmental crises involve hands-on effort? A water crisis can cripple any economy and severely disrupt the well-being and lives of the citizens. What would responsible citizenship look like to you if you had to experience a citywide water crisis?

The nitty gritty of how to live on 50 liters per person

If this is the first time that you are about to start living on 50 liters of water daily, then the experience might initially feel like an unfit person trying to start a new gym routine. It’s going to take discipline, but you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve practically when living in a drought-stricken area.

Let’s get started. I would like to guide you on a practical, step-by-step water routine wherein you’ll aim to gradually reduce the water consumption in your home over four weeks. It will be helpful if you obtain a logbook to track and record your daily usage, progress, challenges, helpful tips, and then to even share your story with others for the purpose of inspiring initiatives on global water conservation.

Please note that in South Africa, we measure liquid in liters. Some of the water statistics may vary slightly from country to country. I have also included water quantities from my personal experience. It would therefore be advisable for you to record your own usage in a logbook and consult the links mentioned in the endnotes to obtain an average usage for your country.

Week 1: Assess how you can store water and what your water usage is. 

Did you know that most households are not aware of how much water they use each month? Establish where your water meter is and how to read it.

The preparation

Find a way to store water. There is no time to be fussy when an unexpected crisis occurs. While an outdoor water tank is certainly advantageous, my suggestions are based on how we got started during the crisis. You will need storage containers of various sizes. We sterilized our big refuse bin, used our bath, fetched small hand buckets, and had big storage bins that were placed next to the washing machine for rainwater storage and reuse. 

The water meter 

Start by locating your water meter on the property. Learn to read the meter and the monthly account. It will be the most accurate way of tracking your usage and recording your progress. If you live in an apartment block or complex, approach the Home Owners’ Association or managing agents about it. 

On the first day, record the number that you see on the water meter. Go back a week later and write down the new reading. Subtract the two amounts and record your progress. Repeat this weekly. At the end of Week 4, compare the two monthly water accounts to evaluate your progress.

Catching and collecting water

The best way to start is by putting plugs in all the hand basins, sinks, and baths throughout your home. Stand in a bucket when you shower. 

Recycle all the water that was caught. For example, use the shower water to flush the toilets, give water from washing perishables to water plants, and prewash the dishes.

In a heavy downpour of rain, we easily caught up to 1000 liters of water in one hour. We had flat, low buckets (one under each downpipe to catch the rainwater), the water from which we would then transfer into our bath or storage containers. Obviously, water tanks connected to downpipes and gutters are far more convenient, but we started out with what we had available. We filtered the rainwater and used it in our top-loader machine.

Brushing your teeth

Put the plug in the hand basin before brushing your teeth. Brush it like you usually do. Measure and record the amount of water that was used. Thereafter, every day for the next four weeks, fill one cup of water only, use it to brush your teeth, rinse your mouth, and then wash the hand basin. Track your water usage before and after using only one cup. You could save as much as 15–30 liters of water.¹ 

Week 2: Consciously reduce, catch, and reuse the water. 

Did you know that a household can easily use over 100 liters per day just by flushing the toilet?² This amount can easily be reduced.

Flushing toilets 

It takes up to 10 liters of water to flush a toilet. Some older toilets can use up to 22 liters of water per flush.³ Residents in Cape Town regularly chanted the words, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down” and meant it. It was common to see an unflushed toilet when visiting at a family or friend’s home. Flush sparingly and use detergents to maintain a suitable level of hygiene. In addition, when you do flush, use grey water, rainwater, or other external sources of water to flush the toilet.

Taking a bath or shower

Did you know that an average shower uses over 50 liters of water per person?³ That adds up to 1500 liters of water per month. Start by standing in a bucket, lower the water pressure of the taps in the shower, or use one third of your usual bath water. Change your shower head if necessary. It’s shocking to think that many standard shower heads can use around nine liters of water per minute.¹ 

Switch the water on and off while showering — that is, wet your hair and body, then turn off the water while using the soap and shampoo. Turn it back on for the rinse. Reuse your grey water for flushing the toilets.

Week 3: Use alternative water sources and accessories.

Did you know that a washing machine can use up to 100 liters per load of washing?³ This amount can also be easily reduced.

The washing machine 

Assess how often you really need to wash your clothes. We started wearing our clothes more than once before tossing them into the laundry basket. We simultaneously lined up doing the white and dark loads. 

We first did the white-load cycle, caught that water in big buckets, and reused it for the dark load’s wash cycle. We only did one rinse cycle for each load and then caught that water and used it for flushing the toilets with buckets.

The “bucket shower”

Switch off your geyser and convert your shower to a camping-style alternative. Replace the use of potable water with boiled rainwater. 

During the first crisis, we had three kettles in our house. One was for fresh water and the other two were for boiling the rainwater to use in the shower. My husband developed a simple “bucket shower” (a bucket with a shower nozzle fitted to it). 

As a result, we started using an average of seven liters of rainwater per shower. In addition, the grey water was reused to flush the toilets. 

At the peak of the crisis, our household’s water usage went down to 2500 liters per month. We used a total of 21 liters for three people per day with our DIY shower. In comparison, a normal shower would have used 4500 liters in a month, but we successfully reduced our usage to 630 liters per month. 

Week 4: Fine tune your new way of life.

Congratulations! If you were disciplined and determined and implemented the changes as recommended, you should have achieved the goal or are at least come close to living on 50 liters of water per person per day. 

Please do not stop at the end of Week 4. It’s now up to you to continue fine tuning your new, adjusted way of living with water.

I would love to hear your story, feedback, and recommendations on water conservation. You can find me on Twitter. Thank you. 

Alison van Tonder is a professional writer and curriculum developer at Visional Choice. She is an activist for Global Water Conservation and lives in Gqeberha, South Africa in the Swartkops River watershed. After encountering two water crises and the threat of “Day Zero” in two cities over a course of five years, she has become committed to mobilising people, including the youth to practice water conservation as a natural way of life. Follow her on Twitter.

Endnotes

“WaterSense for Kids.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. United States Environmental Protection Agency, July 8, 2021. https://www.epa.gov/watersense/watersense-kids 

“Indoor Water Use at Home.” Water Footprint Calculator. GRACE Communications Foundation, April 25, 2020 2020. https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/indoor-water-use-at-home/ 

“Water Use in Your Home.” South Staffs Water. South Staffs Water, n.d. https://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/media/1539/waterusehome.pdf