Rainwater harvesting

Rainfall pattern of Cape Town, month by month

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rainwater drops

Cape Town rainfall pattern.

Cape Town falls within a winter rainfall area, with June receiving the highest average rainfall of 143 mm in the month. January is the driest month, receiving a measly 24mm of rain on average. The total rainfall for Cape Town sits at 853mm per annum. 

Average rainfall pattern for Cape Town

How often does it rain in Cape Town?

August has the most rainfall days with 13.7 day of rain, while February typically has the least with 4.6 days per month on average.

Cape Town average monthly rainfall days

The rainfall pattern in the Cape Town area allows for much rainwater harvesting over the wet winter months. These wet months make it possible to store vast amount of rainwater. This stored water can be used for irrigation use over the dry summer months or to replace the municipal drinking water supply. 

Should enough rainwater be harvested and stored  over the wet winter months it is possible to go off-grid for several months. Over the rainy season excess water will be stored for use during the dryer months. In mid summer, depending on water use habits, some municipal water may be needed to supplement harvested rainwater. The degree to which municipal water would be needed to be supplemented will depend on the available roof area used for harvesting and the water tank storage capacity.

Do I need an RPZ valve?

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Do I need an RPZ valve?

do i need an rpz valve

The City of Cape Town has passed a regulation that all homes be fitted with an RPZ valve (Reduced Pressure Zone – also known as a backflow preventer). This is required where an alternative water supply is delivered to your house or garden with a connection to a municipal water supply, and includes rainwater and groundwater systems.

An RPZ valve will prevent backflow from your rainwater or groundwater system from feeding into the City water supply. This could occur in the event that mains water pressure drops below that supplied by your alternative pumped supply.

These valves are installed above ground and positioned immediately after your municipal stopcock. An isolation valve must be fitted either side of the RPZ valve with a suitable strainer installed at the inlet.

Older systems may have been installed with a safety feature in place to prevent contamination of municipal water. However, the City of Cape Town will only accept installations where an SABS approved RPZ backflow preventor is fitted. Non-return valves are not an approved method of prevention.

City inspectors are visiting homes where an alternative water supply is feeding into the home. They are also going door to door in areas where there have been complaints of poor water quality.

Please contact us at info@capewatersolutions.co.za or call us on 0834555385 to fit the required SABS approved valve for you. Where you have one installed it will require annual servicing, and we can provide you with a reminder to have your RPZ serviced. This will ensure that you stay in compliance with your city requirements.

2019 – Another drier than average year

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2019 – Another drier than average year

Another drier than average year

The City of Cape Town has cautioned residents to keep an eye on consumption levels over the coming weeks. Water consumption for last week was up to 657 million litres/day, exceeding the current 650-million litres/day limit.
Dams supplying Cape Town are down 1,0% from the previous week sitting at 79,7% of storage capacity.
2019 has been another drier-than-average year, and it is important that Cape Town residents remain aware of their water use, especially as we approach the summer months.

Convert your old pool into an underground water tank

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Convert your old pool into an underground water tank

Once the children no longer spend hours a day splashing around in the family swimming pool, one often starts wondering if it is still worthwhile to keep it. The idea of filling it up with dirt and returning it as part of the garden could seem wasteful. What if one could use this storage space as an underground water tank? Couldn’t this be a whole lot more appealing than having several green water tanks littered around the property?

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