The need to conserve water is no longer an undertaking that is limited to the inhabitants of the Middle East and Africa’s desert nations. Over the past few years, it has also become a necessity among the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. While Capetonians are still reeling from the narrowly averted disaster of 2018, people throughout the nine provinces are now accepting the importance of water conservation. Many have been responding by installing JoJo tanks in which to harvest and store rainwater as a defence against the growing threat of drought in the wake of global warming.

South Africans were first introduced to these iconic vessels more than 40 years ago, at which time it was the nation’s farmers who were the first to recognise their value as a convenient means to store water for irrigation and providing water for their livestock. It quickly became obvious that the JoJo tank could play an important role in many other industries, and so, they were soon a common sight in smallholdings, garden centres, fish farms, and virtually anywhere there might be a need to store water and to ensure that its quality would be preserved.

While water was once stored more for convenience than as an act of conversation, times have changed. Domestic tariffs have increased steadily and, even those who may not be convinced of the dangers of climate change have been seeking ways to cut their monthly bills. One of the simplest and most effective solutions is rainwater harvesting. When deciding to purchase a JoJo tank, a household will have the choice of two possible ways in which to implement this form of water conservation.

The first of these and the cheaper of the two options is simply to install the guttering and piping necessary to collect and direct the rainwater from the roof and into a storage vessel located above ground. To ensure that the collected water is free of detritus, some form of pre-filtration system will also be required. The contents can then be accessed by means of a tap fitted to the JoJo tank when required. Untreated, the contents are suitable for low-grade use. However, additional treatments could render them suitable for consumption.

The second option is to install a fully integrated system. This type of installation reduces reliance upon rainfall alone. The storage vessel is first filled from the municipal supply to a pre-determined level set by a float valve, and will then act as a permanent backup. Consequently, the system only relies upon rainfall to fill the remaining space. Once the mixture has been passed through the necessary filtration and sterilisation modules, the combined contents of the JoJo tank can then be safely pumped back into the domestic water supply.

While it is more of an emergency backup option than a conservative measure, and will not actually reduce the monthly municipal bills, there is a third option. Rather than only partially filling the storage vessel from the domestic supply, it could be filled to the brim. Its quality will be preserved, so there is no need for any additional treatment to ensure an uninterrupted supply during those periods when it may be necessary for municipalities to impose restrictions. Whatever your choice, Water Pump Group can supply the JoJo tank and all accessories.