Where do we get our water from, and how is it managed?

The current water supply system is configured as follows:

• Water is pumped from two boreholes situated in the lower end of the property, upstream of the wetland area, into a nearby open storage reservoir.
• From there, the water is pumped through a meter in a pipeline into the main school storage reservoir (with an approximate 160kl storage capacity), situated within the school property. The water pumped is sufficient to meet the daily water requirements.
• Chlorine is added to the water in the main reservoir as a disinfectant.
• From the main reservoir, water is pumped directly into the school reticulation system through a water meter. There are two pumps (one duty and one standby connected in parallel) situated at the main reservoir that are run continuously in order to maintain the correct pressure in the reticulation system. The pump controller is of an energy efficiency design.
• The school water supply is kept isolated from the municipal supply.
• An SMS based alarm system has been fitted to both reservoirs in order to alert staff of any impending overflow situations, thus reducing the risk of wastage.

 What initiatives have we put in place to reduce water usage?

• Energy saving shower heads have been installed in most of the showers.
• These shower heads restrict the water flow to 9 litres per minute versus standard shower heads which use anywhere between 15 and 20 litres per minute.
• Several of our boarding establishment bathrooms have been revamped and low usage toilet cisterns have been installed.

What is our current water usage?

• On average we use in the region of 60 kilolitres per day.Peak days are often due to laundry activities after the weekend.

• An SMS based system is in place to read our main water meters so that daily consumption readings can be taken automatically. This ensures that we are able to monitor our consumption and detect anomalies early.
• An external laboratory carries out monthly analytical tests and submits a report of the micro-biological results.This is a legal requirement as part of the Water Services Act and is undertaken by an approved laboratory.

How do we handle our Waste Water (Sewerage)?

• We have our own Activated Sludge type sewerage treatment plant.
• Daily quality checks are done and the relevant readings are recorded in the site register.
• The plant is inspected three times a day and routine tasks are performed as per the operating manual.
• An external laboratory carries out monthly analytical tests and submits a report of the micro-biological results.

What professional bodies do we belong to?

We are currently members of the following Institutes: