Water is the one element that we simply cannot do without; water is vital for our good health and is also vital to the economy.
The human body consists of around 70% water and as we lose a large percentage of that throughout the day, we need to replace it in order to maintain the fluid balance and our good health. Water is also vital to our economy as we cannot grow produce, farm livestock, supply energy or transport many goods without it.
Unfortunately South Africa is a water-scarce country, and this has always been a problem because our inability to ensure that water supplies are always readily available has constrained our development. During the last decade or so we have been focusing on bringing water to more South African households, especially to those settlements that were previously marginalised, but this has often taken precedence over maintenance of existing infrastructure and over our water sources and the critical role that nature plays in ensuring sufficient water for everyone.
All the fresh water in South Africa comes from around 8% of the land, and because we have not taken care of our natural resources and have let our infrastructure maintenance slide, we are now faced with major problems, and in the throes of a drought.
Not looking after the catchments, rivers and aquifers that feed our dams and water schemes means that they have run dry in one of the hottest and driest years in a few decades. Not looking after the current infrastructure means that thousands of litres of water are wasted from broken pipes and dripping taps daily.
Add to this the burgeoning population, and it does not need a rocket scientist to see that if we do not find a new and better way of protecting these precious natural assets, future generations will have no water security at all.
If 2015 was hot, 2016 is set to be hotter still, and there are still areas where it has not rained and the local farmers are literally crying because their livestock are dying without water to drink and feed to eat and the crops have failed dismally.
We all hope that this has been a lesson to our government to step up the way that they manage our water supplies and infrastructure, but is should also be a lesson to each and every one of us to conserve water wherever possible.
Water coolers have not become that popular in South Africa yet, possibly because we have always had good quality drinking water, but you should think of getting one. I did, and I am ever thankful because it provides even better tasting water – and the water is chilled, which is a must in a hot country like SA. My water cooler also saves water because I do not waste water by running the tap until the water is cool enough, and this means I also save on my water bill, which makes me very happy.
