Storytelling

Pick n Pay

Story: Pick n Pay successfully implemented a water management system at its KZN Distribution Centre (DC).

Impact:  Condensation water from the DC is captured and fed into the cooling towers. This helps reduce scaling in the towers (as there are no ground chemicals present) and ultimately creates better efficiency. The water also is also used to supply staff toilets with ‘grey’ water. In addition to this, as a direct result of the new water management system, the DC is able to operate its refrigeration cooling towers at times that municipal water is turned off, meaning there are not work stoppages. A possible reduction of municipal water usage is currently being investigated.

The next phase of the project will see rainwater being collected from the DC roof, along with the creation of a water tank or pond to store the water, at which point a water purification system will also be installed. These measures aim to ensure the DC is able to generate the bulk of its own water supply, and ultimately make the facility less reliant on municipal water.

Clicks

Story: Clicks Head Office installed a water purifying system in their training facilities for the use by all employees of the building and for all events taking place in the training centre to reduce the bottled water usage.  Water lost through the Head Office air conditioning system is recycled and reused in the flushing of toilets in the Head Office building.

Impact: Clicks have saved an average of 10,000 L per month through recycling the water used in the air conditioning system.

Woolworths

Story:  Because most of South Africa’s water is used in farming irrigation, Woolworths introduced their Farming for the Future programme and are working with fresh produce farmers to implement new methods of farming – which include irrigating only if and when crops need more water, rather than irrigating as a matter of course.

Impact: Fifteen of  Woolworths largest fruit and vegetable suppliers have reduced their water usage by 720.9 million m“ over the past three years, and because chemical interventions such as fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides are only applied when required, there’s less chemical run off is entering the fresh water system.

Spur

Story: Spur Group dedicated an entire issue of Totem (Spur kids’ quarterly magazine) to water. A schools’ garden project has also been created, educating children on how to grow food and the importance of sustainability. The current focus of the Spur Group is to successfully implement and administer sustainability training and awareness for staff and stakeholders.

Impact:  Spur Group has informed and educated 200 000 children across SA about the importance and protection of water through Totem magazine and the Spur Eco Warriors website. The Spur sustainability team has successfully implemented its focus on water education!

Two Oceans Aquarium

Story: We have recently started monitoring our water consumption via an independent meter and online monitoring programme and are looking at ways to reduce our consumption by possibly introducing rainwater harvesting as well as some other ideas which are still to be finalised.

Impact: We have created awareness on how much water we are using and where it is being used and we can now put systems in place to save and recycle water used.

Wessa

Story:  WESSA believes that a holistic and integrated approach to water management is the only way to achieve systems that are able to develop and support both the water quality and quantity needs of all South Africans and the environments in which we live.

Impact: Through its ‘Catchment to Coast’ programme, WESSA aims to ensure that there is enough safe water for all living beings in South Africa:  The Mondi Wetlands Programme is working to secure wetlands and water resources, and the international Blue Flag Beach programme (locally implemented by WESSA) ensures standards of excellence in water quality, environmental management and environmental education at beaches throughout South Africa; while WESSA’s Share-Net and SustainEd projects strongly support environmental education initiatives around water through the provision of resource materials and accredited training courses, and environmental capacity building of local government throughout the country.