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Source: After Anonymous, 1986. How to save water: a handbook for the
householder, National Building Research Institute, CSIR, Pretoria, 20 p.
*
**
(ii) Morris, S.S., 1971. The role of water in urban communities, South
African Journal of Science, VOL 67(3), p. 73 - 8ll., suggested that
household water consumption could be subdivided as follows
(assuming a mean daily consumption of 182 £ capita- 1 ): cooking
(2% of mean daily per capita consumption); washing of clothing,
dishes and other items (18%); personal hygiene (24%); general
cleaning (3%); toilet(27%); physiological needs (1 %), and recreation
plus gardening (25% of mean daily per capita consumption).
According to Morris, industry in the larger urban areas of South
Africa uses some 12 - 15% of total urban consumption, or 45 - 68
£ capita- 1 day-1. Domesticdemand accounts for approximately 60%
of total consumption, where some 10 - 15% of the total urban
consumption per se is used for household gardening purposes, with
swimming pools responsible for approximately 0,1. - 0,3% of total
urban consumption.
(iiil Numerous factors influence household water consumption. These
are family size and age/sex composition; culture; diet; technological
level (including the number of taps on the property); the availability
of alternative supplies - such as boreholes, and income. Other
factors are educational standing; social activities; the cost of water
(including individual or bulk metering - Malan 1988)*; water losses
through leaks, and size of land holding and type of garden (if any).
Seasonal and climatic parameters (such as evapotranspiration) are of
primary significance. Variability in weather conditions (especially
rain) is responsible for short term fluctuations. Gebhardt (1975)**
stressed the importance of excessive water pressure as a factor
influencing consumption, where higher pressures result in higher
consumption levels - especially in terms of garden watering, but also
with reference to leaks in the reticulation system. Gebhardt found
that minor water restrictions imposed on the use of garden sprinklers
during a dry period reduced overall daily consumption (at peak
demand) by some 20%, although a 33% reduction in supply pressure
over 24 hours would have achieved the same result. Gebhardt
See Malan, G.J., 1988. Water consumption and possible water savings in apartment buildings, WRC
Report No. 17711/88, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, 24 p.
See Gebhardt, D.S., 1975. The effects of pressure on domestic water supply including observations
on the effect of limited garden-watering restrictions during a period of high demand, Water SA,
VOL 1(11, p. 3 - 8. See also, Mason, S.J. and Joubert, A.M., 1995. A note on the inter-annual
rainfall variability and water demand in the Johannesburg region, Water SA, VOL 21 (31, p. 269- 270.