Nothing is more important to the health and wellbeing of a nation than clean running water and sustainable plumbing . We take a look at affordable plumbing technology available in South Africa , for households of every shape and size .
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FEATURE
The Wash-o-Toi system can hold 130l of greywater , which will flush one toilet 14 times a day .
Where the water flows − affordable plumbing for the discerning homeowner
Nothing is more important to the health and wellbeing of a nation than clean running water and sustainable plumbing . We take a look at affordable plumbing technology available in South Africa , for households of every shape and size .
By Kelly-Ann Prinsloo
“ are not here to fix toilets ,” said Healthabitat programme manager Dave Donald at the opening of the Community Plumbing Challenge ( CPC ) in July this year . “ You are here to improve the health of the 1 200 people who will be using the toilets .”
There can be no doubt that healthy and sustainable plumbing has an enormous impact on the wellbeing of the population . The opposite is also true – unhealthy plumbing , open sewage and dirty water can make people sick and , in some cases , even cause death . According to the United Nations ( UN ), an estimated 801 000 children under the age of five perish from diarrhoea each year , mostly in developing countries . This means that about 2 200 children die every day as a result of water , sanitation and hygiene ( WASH ) -related diseases .
The point of that rather grim statistic is not simply to shock and scare you . Water-related diseases can strike anywhere – they are not simply the concern of dusty villages in distant African countries .
Any homeowner can be affected by this diseases and , if you can ’ t afford to install the latest plumbing technology or replace your failing pipes every few years , you and those who live in your home might become part of that startling statistic .
See page 20 for more .
18
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2016
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING