Hanno Labuschagne

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Water backup systems compared

South African homeowners looking to ditch their municipal water supply have three main alternatives — water storage tanks and a pump, rainwater harvesting, and a borehole.

Pricing for these off-grid water systems varies based on a household's water usage and requirements. Prices can range from R2,000 to over R90,000, depending on the system you choose.
 
Water backup systems compared

South African homeowners looking to ditch their municipal water supply have three main alternatives — water storage tanks and a pump, rainwater harvesting, and a borehole.

Pricing for these off-grid water systems varies based on a household's water usage and requirements. Prices can range from R2,000 to over R90,000, depending on the system you choose.
Don't forget the price of a submersible pump for the borehole which, depending on which you go for, can cost R50k or even more for a reliable solar pump with dedicated panels.
 
These kinds of systems are often the most affordable and viable for most South African households. However, it isn’t genuinely off-grid, requiring a municipal water supply to fill the tanks.
Come now - that isn't remotely off-grid.
 
Come now - that isn't remotely off-grid.
It could be. There are services that will fill your tank for you for a fee. Municipal service is just one. Tanker service is another. You could cut the municipal service out and be considered off grid. You're still storing water on site and not connected to the grid.
 
It could be. There are services that will fill your tank for you for a fee. Municipal service is just one. Tanker service is another. You could cut the municipal service out and be considered off grid.
By their own concession it requires a municipal water supply to fill the tanks so they should have omitted it.
 
According to Use-Rainwater.com, a basic water harvesting system will cost South African homeowners between R15,000 and R35,000.
According to use-rainwater.com
A basic 5000 liter above ground system where water will be recovered of a 150sqm roof and the water used for general washing, flushing of toilets, doing the washing and general non potable applications will cost you between R25 000 and R35 000 installed. It is a pressurized system in which the pump switches on an off depending on the water demand.
Which is utter BS. Tanks run roughly R1 per litre, a pump maybe a couple thousand. A base for the tank similar. Some basic plumbing, a first flush, and a leaf eater for a grand or two and you're looking at R11-12k.

Hell - I plumbed mine into the house with a R400 garden hose and a one way valve from builders. I can switch between washing machine only and the full house with a R150 ball valve.
 
Don't forget the price of a submersible pump for the borehole which, depending on which you go for, can cost R50k or even more for a reliable solar pump with dedicated panels.

No way... They stole one of the borehole pump, cable, wiring and control box back at the farm replaced everything for less than R5k, and we installed it sameday.
 
Okay i'm 100% convinced this is cadres making sure people are dependant on their water trucks. Nothing to do with geology.
100%?

No water trucks available as Nelson Mandela Bay hit by outages​

With Nelson Mandela Bay facing an array of water outages, it has now emerged that the supply of water trucks has dried up.

The DA said on Wednesday this was because the metro had not paid contractors, while the metro said it was “a contractual matter related to payments”.

DA caucus leader Retief Odendaal said the situation was unacceptable.

“Notwithstanding the various water outages across the metro currently, there are unfortunately no water trucks available to be deployed.

“This is as a result of the metro neglecting to pay contractors which have now withdrawn their fleet.

“I will liaise with the department of water and sanitation to see if they can assist our residents during this latest emergency.

More: https://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/2...ailable-as-nelson-mandela-bay-hit-by-outages/
 
No way... They stole one of the borehole pump, cable, wiring and control box back at the farm replaced everything for less than R5k, and we installed it sameday.
How deep is the borehole? Different pumps for different depths, also a solar pump is a chunk more money. I’m referring to a 100m deep hole.
 
According to use-rainwater.com

Which is utter BS. Tanks run roughly R1 per litre,
Depends on size, R1.60 for 10kl tanks but that supplier is factoring in labour, guttering, facia, reinforced platforms lol
 
Depends on size, R1.60 for 10kl tanks but that supplier is factoring in labour, guttering, facia, reinforced platforms lol
Which is fine but they specified a 5000l tank which is roughly R1 per litre so it's really not as much as they're making it out to be... "they" being use-rainwater.com
 
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