City Park's educational material

How to save water Don't put anything down the toilet besides toilet paper; Fix cistern or tap leaks immediately. A leaking tap means 6 000 to 12 000 litres of water are lost each month; Don't dump any foreign objects into sewer manholes and gulleys; Don't cover manholes; Consider installing modern dual flush cistern toilets - they were installed in two Gauteng townships recently and water consumption dropped by 35 percent. Each flush of the toilet uses 10 to 12 litres of water. How to check for leaks How can you tell whether there is a leaking pipe on your property? Turn off all your taps, inside and outside the house. Check your water meter box - if the dial is still moving, there is a water leak. If it is not moving, there is no leak on the property. A 0.5mm hole in a pipe results in 14 400 litres of water lost a month. RELATED LINKS: Johannesburg City Parks CITY Parks is responsible for the maintenance and development of Johannesburg's parks and cemeteries. Read more The social uses of parks in the city DESIGNED for leisure and recreation but unevenly distributed in the city, parks have been put to contrasting uses by different communities. Read more Residents urged to conserve water ALTHOUGH much of the country is faced with an impending drought, residents of Johannesburg will not be faced with water restrictions just yet. Read more How Joburg plans to save that water THE water that flows from your taps has travelled hundreds of kilometres to get to you - and somewhere along that convoluted route, as much as 40 percent of it is believed to leak away. Read more

City Parks celebrates national Water Week The Klipriver Wetlands have been targeted for rehabilitation as part of City Parks's national Water Week celebrations. It is also focusing on educating learners about the importance of water conservation. March 31, 2006 By Shamin Chibba WATER is one of our most precious natural resources, yet it is still often wasted or misused. In the developing world, for example, millions of people die each year people die from diseases that could have been prevented had they had access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene. To raise awareness of the importance of water - and especially clean water - Joburg's City Parks unit celebrated national Water Week on Wednesday, 29 March at the Klipriver Nature Reserve's recreational centre. It was attended by hundreds of school children. Numerous Water Week celebrations have been held countrywide, between 27 and 31 March. For its part Joburg aimed to entertain and educate children about the importance of water and of preserving it. Joburg Water's mascot, Tappie, was on hand, and the children were invited to sing and dance along with him. Geoffrey Cooke, the operations executive at City Parks, spoke to the children about ways to save water. "Water is a scarce resource. When you brush your teeth do not leave the tap running. Fill a cup with water and dip your toothbrush in there. And water the garden at night to prevent evaporation." Part of the City's Water Week celebrations is the rehabilitation of the Klipriver Wetlands. Thandi O'Hagan of the Mayibuye Wetlands Programme, said the aim was to create a healthy wetland. Mayibuye Wetlands Programme is partnering City Parks in the rehabilitation of the wetlands. "Wetlands conserve water - they do not lose water during droughts and prevent flooding because they act like a sponge that soaks in water," she said. "They clean the water and act as purifiers." Water Week mascot Tappie emphasises the importance of being water wise And the educational message seems to be sinking in. Ndando Mhlaga, a pupil at AB Xuma Primary School in Orlando East, explained that wetlands were able to recharge the ground water supply. This was important for the ecosystem surrounding the wetland as it survived on the water that was stored in the bogs, moors or marshes. O'Hagan pointed out that for the Klipriver wetland to be preserved, the litter that was washed into the area needed to be removed. The City's launch of Water Week was held in conjunction with the launch of City Year, a youth service programme that trains volunteers between the ages of 18 and 24. According to City Year's communications officer, Wilma Luimes-Sindane, the volunteers are trained in project management and life skills. "We help facilitate some other [City] projects. We are in partnership with City Parks to assist it for today's project and to help with staffing requirements." City Parks is also responsible for watercourses in the city such as Braamfontein Spruit and Zoo Lake as they are essential to birdlife and flora. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za