DIY solutions: Sales of water storage tanks have risen nationwide. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The sale of storage tanks, pumps and filtration systems for homes and businesses is rocketing because of South Africa’s ailing water infrastructure and water shortages.
Specialists say events such as the floods in KwaZulu-Natal, where pipes and reticulation systems were destroyed; the drought in Gqeberha; load-shedding by Eskom and changing weather patterns induced by global warming has heightened anxiety about a reliable water supply.
JoJo sales, marketing and distribution executive Sebasti Badenhorst said the company sold 50% more pumps and filters in the last year than before.
“We have seen sales of pumps rocket in rural areas, while the sales of JoJo filters have also doubled with consumers increasingly concerned about the quality of water they use to drink and cook.”
Justin Lindsay, the general manager of operations for Eco Tanks, which has four factories around the country, described sales as “very good” this year.
He said that last month saw a dip in figures because of rising raw material prices and fuel price increases, but generally demand was high.
“People want to feel self-sufficient, so they don’t have to rely on government or because they want a back-up. It is a strong motivator,” he said
“In different parts of the country there are different drivers. Most of rural South Africa is water scarce and tanks mean you don’t have to lug water up from a river or a dam. That’s where most of our sales come from, but we’ve definitely seen an uptick because of climate change events or general maintenance issues.”
The manager of a hardware retailer in Gqeberha said the sale of water storage tanks had doubled and pump sales were up 45% year on year.
“We’ve always sold these products and water purification systems, but we’ve seen a massive increase in the last year. Generally people wait until there is a crisis to make themselves as self-sufficient as they can afford to, but I think the drought here, the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and Eskom load-shedding deepens feelings of mistrust in government’s ability to supply.”
“Blame that on changing weather patterns, maintenance failures or the theft and scavenging of metal from pump stations, it all contributed to fears around scarcity.
“More people are buying water filters because of discussions about the quality of water,” the manager said.
Sybil Wessels, of Water Spot, an irrigation, pumps and plumbing business in Pretoria, said: “Sales of pumps, tanks and filtration systems are very high. People don’t trust the water supply. They don’t think the water they get is safe.”
Jojo’s Badenhorst said uncertainty about the supply of basic services such as water and power prompted people to secure alternatives where they could.
“While solar power has probably dominated the conversation around how consumers are looking for solutions to make them less dependent on municipalities and utilities for their basic services, our sales figures are showing that installing water solutions has become a very high priority.”
He said people wanted a fall-back for when water supplies were interrupted, to cut down on water costs by harvesting rainwater and because of quality concerns.
“Water stress really increases demand. It has been drastic in some areas like KwaZulu-Natal because of the floods. But a tank can only store. Apart from supply, many people are concerned about water quality.”
Tracy Roberts, the sectional title manager of Trafalgar Property Management, which administers about 1 500 buildings and complexes around the country, said there had been “a huge increase” in inquiries about water storage and filtration.
“We have a building of 180 units in Durban that uses borehole water to flush the toilets. That building has had two serious outages in the last six months, one that lasted for two days. Imagine if they didn’t have that. It also represents an average monthly savings for the building of about R15 000.
“In our Durban portfolio about 10 buildings have JoJo tanks. They are not completely off the grid, but they use them as a back-up supply when the municipal water supply is disconnected. In Tongaat some complexes have not had water for months. One of our schemes there has six Jojo tanks that are filled by the council every third day and each household is allowed 100 litres of water a day.”
Roberts said water anxiety prompted a lot of queries about everything from storage tanks to do-it-yourself filtration units that cost about R2 000. “People don’t want to take the chance of getting sick. In Durban many people I know don’t want to drink water out of the taps anymore.”
In August, Rashnie Baijnath died from diarrhoea and the eThekwini municipality confirmed that tap water in the area she lived did not meet acceptable standards for human consumption.
Last month Kirsten Kelly, the editor of Water and Sanitation Africa, wrote that “nearly every report in her industry started with a list of depressing facts”.
“South Africa is the 30th-driest country in the world, with an average annual rainfall of about 465mm — half the world average. The country is approaching physical water scarcity, with an expected water deficit of 17% by 2030. South Africans use more water than the global average — 234 litres per person daily versus 173 litres. South Africa needs R1-trillion to recapitalise the water sector.”
Anthony Turton, a leading water expert, said there was an element of “panic buying” in a reaction to water scarcity fears.
“We are not running out of water in South Africa but the ability to get water into the taps is another story and the breakdown of Eskom’s power infrastructure means pumps can’t work.”
Turton said the implications were dire.
A “sizeable” amount of Eskom’s capacity was spent pumping water around the country under pressure, including to sewage systems.
“We are facing a national catastrophe. Cities are supposed to have storage capacity for 24 hours. This has been whittled down over the years because of a lack of investment and growing populations.”
Turton said people looked for private water solutions in the face of ailing water systems or the government not having power to fill reservoirs.
“It reflects the growing fear and mistrust of government … but at best you can survive a few days flushing your toilet with swimming pool water or a JoJo tank.
“These DIY systems must be professionally installed and are a short-term solution. If you become your own water supplier you start internalising a risk you actually have little conception of.
“The real answer to this problem is to get proper, technically competent people to manage the system. That doesn’t look like it is going to happen anytime soon. The average Joe can do very little about this. You can’t run a household or a business off a JoJo tank.”
Turton said the dangers inherent in water storage and filtration systems that were not properly installed or maintained were potentially fatal. Water treatment was a highly scientific endeavour best left to professionals.
Former water affairs minister Edna Molewa died from Legionnaires’ disease, a type of pneumonia caused by inhaling Legionella bacteria that can be incubated in vapour in water tanks exposed to sunlight for a period of time.
Turton said specialists in South Africa had to model the risk associated with potential water system failures.
“Of the total volume of water used in South Africa, 63% goes to producing food. Most people need to drink two litres a day. National average water consumption is 200 litres a day, that includes for bathing, flush toilets and laundry. But every calorie of food we require takes a litre of water to produce. Most people need about 2 000 calories a day. That is 2 000 litres. So Jojo tanks and filtration systems are a stopgap for a day or two.”
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