Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Learning from Grandma

No matter where I go I always like to learn and find a better way to live. We have just got back from a wonderful peaceful time with my mom and dad and we have learnt alot.

Where they live on the Garden Route they have been plagued by a severe water shortage for the last 18 months. The dam that serves their town is only 23% full. There have been a variety of water by laws passed to make people more water concious.



Even so, people continue to flush at will, wash cars and paving with hoses and waste water in general. Not my mom who is a hero for the environment!



As her garden is small she has no place for a big water butt, so has resorted to using black bins at her downpipes to catch any moisture - even dew! It is estimated that overnight dew will eventually fill a bin which can be used in the garden. She had the hardware store cut a hole and insert a tap.



My parents live on the forest line in the Outeniqua mountains, the picture above is from their front steps.



We enjoyed walking int this forest even in the dry heat as there was still lots to see.



Most of us are dependent on water from a dam, I will share with you another visit we made while away where this family "milks the clouds" in another post, but as I watched my mom going through her routine of collecting water each day from showers and baths in buckets and in a basins at sinks and in the kitchen I realised how much more I can do in my own home, even though we are not in a drought situation.

Each household in her area is allowed 15 000 litres of municipal water per month and my mom manages to run her household on 1 000 litres...that's a feat to be awarded. Well done Mom!

2 comments:

Deb said...

Wendy your mum must be so water wise, everyone should take a leaf out of her book.
Merry Christmas

Sonja said...

Well done indeed! I wish more people will start doing that,even if there is water! I learnt a lot and I am definitely going to use this ideas!