City applauds Cape Garden’s water-wise choices ahead of drier summer
As Cape Town prepares for a longer, drier summer and lower dam levels, the City is encouraging residents and businesses to look for practical ways to use less drinking water. Cape Garden Centre in Joostenbergvlakte is one business already leading by example, having adopted a range of water-saving measures while helping its customers make more water-wise choices in their own gardens.
Businesses and residents can contribute by looking at how water is used in daily activities and identifying practical opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce wastage.
The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate recently visited Cape Garden Centre in Joostenbergvlakte to acknowledge the nursery’s longstanding commitment to using water responsibly and to learn more about the measures it has put in place to reduce water use.
Peter van Niekerk, CEO and co-owner, took the City’s team behind the scenes to demonstrate the garden centre’s water-saving approach. The nursery has not used drinking water to irrigate its plants for the past 10 years and uses a combination of non-drinking water, storage, targeted irrigation and careful monitoring to manage its water needs.
During peak summer, the nursery uses approximately 40 000 litres of water a day, making careful planning and responsible water management essential to its daily operations.
Practical measures that make a difference
Cape Garden’s water-saving measures include:
- Using non-drinking water supplied directly from Theewaterskloof Dam, via their Stellenbosch farm, and has approximately 100 000 litres of water storage capacity on site.
- Closing main water supply points at night and reopening them in the morning to reduce potential losses from leaks or breakages after hours.
- The nursery does not use overhead irrigation. Watering is controlled through targeted systems, including pressure-controlled irrigation and drip irrigation at their farm.
- Staff assess individual plants before watering to determine whether they require water, rather than simply following a fixed watering schedule.
- All plants at the retail stores are individually watered by hand, which has helped reduce water use by approximately 50%.
Tips for residents
After 30 years in the industry, Van Niekerk says that many plants die as a result of overwatering rather than a lack of water. He encourages residents to practise ‘mindful gardening’ by understanding the water requirements of different plants and only watering when necessary.
- Use a simple wooden dowel, stick or a moisture meter to check moisture levels in the soil, to help determine whether plants need to be watered.
- Do not water plants when the soil is already wet.
- Choose suitable water-wise plants, such as Spekboom, that can be incorporated into gardens.
The centre is also using its position within the gardening industry to educate customers about water-wise choices. With about 1,5 million plants entering Cape Town each year through the nursery, the business has an opportunity to influence the way residents plan and maintain their gardens.
This includes encouraging customers to consider the water requirements of different plants and alternatives to water-intensive lawns. Choosing suitable plants and creating well-established garden ecosystems can help reduce the need for intensive watering over time.
‘Water conservation is a responsibility that extends beyond the City and into our homes, businesses, gardens and everyday choices. It is encouraging to see businesses such as Cape Garden Centre looking at how they can use water more efficiently while also helping their customers understand the importance of making water-wise choices.
‘It is encouraging to see businesses such as Cape Garden already taking practical steps to make water conservation part of their everyday operations. Their approach shows that saving water does not always require complicated solutions. It starts with understanding how water is being used and avoiding unnecessary wastage.
‘With lower dam levels and the months ahead expected to be more challenging, we encourage residents and businesses to take stock of their own water use and look for practical ways to make every drop count. Whether it is checking before watering, fixing a leak or choosing a more water-wise plant, every action to reduce unnecessary water use helps us protect this precious resource,’ said Alderman Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
