With Load Shedding Over, Homeowners Now Face Water Readiness as the Next Challenge
While load shedding might be behind us, a new obstacle has emerged in the form of water outages.
Homeowners are now approaching water usage similarly to how they once dealt with load shedding—by cutting back on consumption and prepping for disruptions before they happen.
“Water is starting to resemble load shedding,” states Marc du Plessis, executive head of Standard Bank’s home-efficiency platform LookSee.
“There are outages and restrictions, but unlike electricity, water is a limited resource. You can’t simply install solar panels and rely on sunlight.
“Water must come from finite sources.”
With planned maintenance, burst pipes, aging municipal infrastructure, and water restrictions, supply interruptions have become increasingly common in various regions of the country.
Du Plessis highlights that while a short outage may be manageable, the situation becomes much more problematic when an interruption lasts for several days.
“If the water is off for one day and you know it’ll return, you can cope. But when it’s out for three days, that’s when it turns into a significant issue. Water also pertains to health and sanitation.”
The severity of this situation led President Cyril Ramaphosa to unveil the National Water Action Plan in July.
This plan suggests increased infrastructure investment, including contributions from the private sector, along with regulatory reforms and measures to enhance municipal water delivery.
The Presidency asserts that the plan aims to tackle the root causes of supply failures in municipalities.
Consumers are also facing rising costs for an increasingly unreliable service. Effective July 1, Johannesburg raised its average water tariff by 12.5%, Ekurhuleni by 11%, and Tshwane by 10%.
These hikes significantly exceed the current inflation rate.
Two-pronged approach
Du Plessis explains that achieving water resilience necessitates a two-pronged strategy:
- Households must first eliminate avoidable consumption; and
- Then consider backup storage for times when municipal supply is lacking.
“The most economical and sustainable litre of water is the one that you don’t use,” he states.
Identifying water wastage can be more challenging than spotting electricity waste. While lights left on are immediately noticeable, a dripping faucet, running toilet, or malfunctioning irrigation system may go undetected for months or even years.
“You can see electricity being wasted because it’s visible; for example, lights staying on when they could be turned off. But a leak behind the house can persist for years,” Du Plessis adds.
The first step toward resilience is to detect leaks and cut back on unnecessary water use from garden irrigation, swimming pool maintenance, and other water-heavy activities.
Backup without the upfront cost
LookSee has now teamed up with a specialist provider to offer municipal backup water systems to homes in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The tanks connect to the municipal supply, automatically filling through household plumbing when water is available.
If municipal water pressure drops or the supply is disrupted, a pressure-sensitive pump draws water from the tank to supply the home’s faucets, toilets, and showers. Once municipal supply is restored, the system switches back and refills the tank.
The smallest system features a 2,000-litre tank approved by the South African Bureau of Standards, intended to provide a family of four with backup water for approximately two days.
The cost is R25,999, including standard installation, or about R660 per month over 60 months at an 18% interest rate.
A larger 5,250-litre system, designed to supply a family of four for around six days, is priced at R30,999 or an estimated R790 per month over 60 months.
Rental options begin at R599 per month for the basic 2,000-litre system, which includes installation, annual inspections, and maintenance. Filtered and UV-sterilized rental systems are available at higher monthly rates; for instance, a premium 2,000-litre system costs R999 per month.
Details on LookSee’s backup water tank pricing and specifications can be found on their website.
The rental arrangement is month-to-month, but a R3,000 fee is charged for removal and reconnection if the customer opts to cancel.
Purchased systems belong to the homeowner; however, ongoing maintenance is not included.
“Some maintenance is necessary,” Du Plessis mentions. “Filters need to be replaced, UV bulbs must be changed, and water quality should be monitored. We have a partner that offers this as a subscription service.”
LookSee advises that the tanks should also be flushed at least once a month to prevent stagnation.
Du Plessis warns that backup tanks should not provide a license to waste water or excessively draw from municipal reservoirs as soon as supply resumes.
“There is a reluctance to stockpile water because draining reservoirs is a concern. Just like with solar energy, the priority should be on efficiency first, followed by backup systems. The same principle goes for water.”
After widespread supply disruptions are resolved, delaying the refilling of backup tanks whenever feasible may assist municipal reservoirs and distribution systems in stabilizing.
The connection to electricity becomes increasingly evident: solar panels and batteries don’t eliminate the necessity for energy efficiency, nor do water tanks dismiss the need for conservation. One lowers household demand; the other provides a safeguard during system failures.
Brought to you by LookSee.
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