Silulumanzi recently launched a new water plant opposite Karino Estate. This plant will supply half of the stands, approximately 2250, with clean water. It will produce nearly two megalitres of water a day. The ideal would be to supply the whole of the Karino Estate with clean, drinkable water.
Ms Yolanda Oosthuizen with clean drinkable water after it has gone through four stages of filtration.
At the moment there are approximately 4500 stands that have to be supplied with basic water works. Water is being pumped from the Crocodile River, cleaned, purified and then distributed to the estate. Engineering for the whole project took approximately eight months to complete. The whole process of purifying water entails four stages. One of the most complex processes involves the adding of polymer. Polymer is a positive catalyst compound added to negative H2O. This process causes particles in the water to bind to each other, allowing mud particles to sink to the bottom. The water is then pumped to a control room where chlorine is added which kills all parasites and common germs.
Source: Excerpts from Lowvelder Newspaper, 3 August 2010
Water scarcity in South Africa and in a growing number of other countries is becoming more prevalent. Local municipalities struggle to provide enough water for new developments and municipal water quality can be an issue. The Karino water plant will provide some water to the Karino Estate (located near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga) but in times of drought the Crocodile River water will become over-utilized and abstraction will be curtailed. Water conservation systems such as rainwater harvesting systems and grey water recycling systems should be incorporated into the design of houses on new developments such as those that will be built on Karino Estate (and the growing number of other country estates in the Lowveld). Although all Water Rhapsody’s systems can be retrofitted, it is ideal to work with architects and builders in the early stages of construction. The cost of incorporating one or more water-saving systems into a new building is minimal compared to the overall cost. Serious water shortages are looming; every homeowner should be attempting to mitigate the effects of the water crisis by installing some sort of water saving system. Water tanks are an important part of preparing for water shortages. Water tanks are used for rainwater collection and for storing reserve municipal and borehole water. We always advise that appropriate water filtration be implemented- even chlorine in water can be hazardous to your health. We also advise against letting chlorinated swimming pool backwash water enter the environment; we supply and install a cost-effective backwash recycling system (see product demo, Poolside Tank) so that hazardous chlorinated water doesn’t damage the environment. As with water, energy-saving systems should also be considered whenever possible. Water Rhapsody Mpumalanga has now incorporated Yes Solar Mpumalanga- we supply solar products, specializing in solar water heating and solar geysers (installed by Eskom-accredited technicians so they are eligible for substantial rebates). Whether you are building a new house or want to make your existing home more water- and energy efficient, contact us for a FREE quote and assessment. We are working with various country estates and eco estates in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province where we advise estate managers on holistic water management and encourage homeowners to have at least one form of water conservation system built into their houses.