- Climate change is making itself heard as some parts of the country face severe drought.
- The threat of taps running dry in Cape Town has been a wakeup call for both regional and national government.
- New by-laws restricting the water flow of tap mixers are fast becoming a reality.
- Non-compliance will be punishable.
The drought scares around the country have prompted national and local governments to consider implementing laws to regulate the flow of water from taps. The municipality of Cape Town is leading the way by implementing by-laws that stipulate the maximum flow rate from any tap installed in a wash hand basin may not exceed 6 litres per minute.
Homeowners will be bound and responsible for ensuring compliance with the new by-laws in respect of all matters relating to the water-related installations and the maintenance thereof. The new laws will extend to the entities responsible for installations. Provisions are made regarding the responsibility of plumbers who will need to be registered with their local City Council. In the case of Cape Town, the City will also have the right to cancel the registration of plumbers.
Low-flow or flow regulated tap mixers are readily available in the South African market, however, very few are authentic and deliver in terms of water savings performance. Stick to quality household brands like Hansgrohe who put a lot of investment and research into the performance of their tap mixers.
The majority of Hansgrohe tap mixers are available in EcoSmart versions. The EcoSmart models comply with anticipate by law changes regulating flow from tap mixers to 6 litres a minute or less.
If you are renovating or retrofitting your bathroom, or building a new home, specify a brand like Hansgrohe for your showerhead and tap mixers. There is a design for every décor taste plus you are assured that the product complies with anticipated by-laws regulating the water flow of basin tap mixers in South Africa.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
