As the water crisis persists, it’s important to not get despondent, but continually seek solutions to prepare for Day Zero and to cope with the “new normal”. One of the considerations for Cape Town Central City stakeholders is collaborating with building managers to form water committees inside commercial and even residential buildings.
In an online article, national coordinator of the Right2Know campaign, Murray Hunter, writes that: “As the water crisis deepens in Cape Town, and the threat of Day Zero – a total shut-off of water across most parts of the City – becomes an increasingly likely reality, there needs to be a water committee in every single building and every single street.”
According to the City of Cape Town, Day Zero is projected to be on 4 June 2018 (as at the time of going online).
In the face of this reality, a water committee is a great way to be proactive and, particularly in commercial buildings, get both employers and employees on the table to bring about clarity on pertinent questions such as: Will the office stay open if Day Zero arrives? Is working remotely a possibility? And what are the alternatives for working parents if their children’s schools close because of Day Zero?
Murray notes that while we have scary months ahead, we also have an opportunity to rise above the challenges: “The water crisis is an environmental, economic, political and humanitarian disaster that threatens to bring all the worst inequalities and injustices of our society to the fore. But it can also bring out the best in us – resilience, compassion and solidarity. How we act in these coming weeks and months is crucial.”
Things to note about forming a water committee
According to Murray, important steps to consider towards forming a water committee are:
- Talking in the corridor with a few neighbours and colleagues until there’s enough of a critical mass that you can form an interim committee – rope in the building manager and as many tenants as you can.
- Ensuring diversity and inclusivity. There needs to be a strong representation of women so that sanitation proposals are gender conscious. There needs to be a strong representation of any cleaning staff, who are often the frontline of any water-saving efforts. All water-saving and Day Zero planning needs to be conscious of the needs of disabled people, the elderly, and other people with special needs. The more inclusive the structure is, the more inclusive its planning will be.
- Getting basic information on the building’s water usage and what it currently pays for water to get an idea of whether if it’ll be able to pay for alternative water measures in the event of Day Zero.
- Sending out an email to all tenants to let them know about the initiative and to lay down some non-controversial steps to get people saving water.
After forming a water committee, the next step is to come up with a series of water-saving measures. For example, shutting off non-essential bathrooms, developing grey-water provisions for any toilets, reducing water pressure, estimating costs for alternative sanitation for the Day Zero scenario, getting costs for rainwater tanks. Once there’s a draft plan, there must be a general meeting to brief people on these proposals and get them approved or amended.
For more information on Day Zero and water-related operations, visit www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater.
Images by City of Cape Town