Originally published on 02 September 2019

In South Africa, new technology helped schools save water and money. By using smart water meters, schools cut down on water waste and saved millions of rands.

What was the problem?

During the big drought in Cape Town in 2017, schools had high water bills and wasted water because of hidden leaks. Checking water use with monthly bills wasn't enough to stop water loss and money issues in time.

How did they solve it?

A test project put smart water meters in four Western Cape schools, giving detailed, hourly information on water use. This helped schools quickly find leaks and changed how they used water. The success of this project led to its growth to 345 schools in 2018, saving a lot of water.

So how did they do it?

• Smart water meters were put into the schools to give real-time water use information.
• Shoprite and the Western Cape government paid for fixing leaks and burst pipes.
• Experts from the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University ran information campaigns and competitions to encourage people to save water.
• Schools got weekly updates on their water use, with some joining competitions to see which schools could save the most water.

The results were great, with schools cutting water use by up to 26%. The project not only saved water but also saved a lot of money. We can save as much as R1.5 billion if these smart water meters are used across the country.

Read more

For more information on the #SmartWaterMeterChallenge, read more at SchoolsWater.co.za here.

Acknowledgements:

Original article written by: Environment for Development (EfD)

Photograph supplied by: waterutilitysolutions

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