Category: Our Area Improvement Projects

A team that plays together stays together – WID’s annual teambuilding event

At WID, we’re a family. We support and challenge one another to do the best work possible. We are united by a love of Woodstock and the community. We believe in giving our all and working hard – but we also believe in having some serious fun!

Last week we decided that it was time to explore our playful side again. The entire WID team, along with our service providers, Essential Cleaning and Securitas, participated in a few team building activities to build some bridges and strengthen relationships. The activities were put together by Team Building Activities and Events to facilitate a day of bonding and raising team spirit.

Our administrator Nicola Welby-Solomons was pleasantly surprised by the commitment demonstrated from everyone involved. “I am very proud to say that we certainly have an amazing group of people working to keep Woodstock great. They are not only dedicated but I never knew they were so competitive!” she said, laughing. “It was really great to see all the different sides to our colleagues.”

The team was divided into four groups and participated in cooperation and outcome-based exercises to achieve a shared goal. Unsurprisingly, as the day wore on, many participants realised the importance of a supportive team to meet goals.

Officer Ndlovu, “Foot Papa” at the WID (Securitas), was humbled by a seemingly simple activity. “When we played memory lane, I was motivating my whole team and showed them where all the blocks were to get to the other side, but when I was alone I had to remember all the blocks on my own, and that made me realise why I need a team.”

After this, there were also a few heated rounds of “minute to win it” activities. These mildly ridiculous exercises saw individual team members threading raw pasta onto a kebab stick in under a minute – using only their mouths!

Despite the silliness of some games, participants showed resilience and enthusiasm at every turn – there was certainly no letting up from any of the teams. After all of that activity, the team was looking forward to a hearty meal, and were not disappointed. Oor die Kole Spit Braai and Catering did a magnificent job. Their lunch was delicious and the service splendid.

It was a wonderful experience for the teams, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Officer Poni, the Supervisor for Securitas at WID, went so far as to say that it was by far the best function that we have had. The feedback from the Law Enforcement Team can be summed up in the words of Officer Gaidien; “I just want to say thank you for an amazing day with you WID, Securitas and Essential. You guys are awesome.”

In keeping with the spirit of the event, we want to thank all of those who made this amazing day possible. A special thank you to the Board of Directors and management for providing us with this opportunity to get to know each other outside the usual working environments.

Thank you to Woodstock Community Church for providing us with a venue for free, it met our needs exactly. Thanks also to Team Building Activities and Events for hosting an amazing day of activity, we truly appreciated your commitment to facilitating an atmosphere of fun and making sure that nobody felt left out.

Finally, we would like to thank each and every WID team member who attended. We are so proud to have you as part of the team and look forward to many more years of serving together.

Bloomlane – a garden in the city

We are proud to announce that Woodstock is home to a number of projects which allow residents to engage in the process of local renovation and renewal. Our mission is to improve the area sustainably, from the roots up.

One of the projects that we are achieving this vision through is the pilot project collaboration with Streetscapes, where homeless people are given the opportunity to tend gardens and sell the produce for profit. This project served as a catalyst for other developmental projects in the area which have the potential to change the social and physical landscape of Woodstock.

The most recent of these innovations is the transformation of Hanwell Lane into an urban garden which will benefit the community.

What is the project about?

The project aims to create an urban food garden in Hanwell Lane, Woodstock. The garden will give people the techniques and space to grow fresh produce for feeding programmes. It will also be an area where community members can support one another through interaction and skill sharing. The main aim is to create a productive environment to empower the community. The hope is that this model will be applied in other suburbs throughout Cape Town.

What prompted the project?

The project was born out of the vision of Mr Graeme Allen. He lives next to Hanwell Lane and was frustrated by the level of vandalism and illegal dumping of waste in the street. He refused to believe this was the only option, and obtained a lease for Hanwell Lane to establish a community garden.

Mr Allen then spent six months communicating with other residents and the City Roads and Planning department to create a plan. This blueprint was then shared with homeowners in Roodebloem Road, Roberts Road, Beacontree Lane and Hillyard Street where local support was harvested. Eventually an agreement was signed by many local residents to turn Hanwell Lane into a community garden.

Who are the stakeholders?

This project is an example of what can be achieved in a community through collaboration. Mr. Allen has garnered support from invested partnership who are willing to see the project through to the end.

Connective Collective (CC) – a collection of people who provide platforms for sustainable community engagement. Their goal is to facilitate citizens in building communities that live in harmony with the earth.

Guerilla House – an urban permaculture training platform that educates and equips citizens using affordable regenerative technologies. They specialise in creating and running organic food gardens, water harvesting, soil building, animal systems, mushroom cultivation, grey water systems, alternative building technologies and waste regeneration.

Community – people living between Hilyard and Salisbury Streets, Roodebloem and Roberts Roads, and those that use Hanwell Lane for thoroughfare. They are encouraged to take ownership of the lane and invest where possible so that they can benefit from it flourishing.

Contributors – property owners neighbouring Hanwell Lane have contributed to the cost of gates and the further development of the project.

Woodstock Improvement District (WID) – we aim to utilise the community garden project to extend our social outreach programme.

Woodstock Residents Association​ (WRA) – facilitates engagement between local authorities and residents living in Woodstock. They provide a platform to share information, discuss differences and solve problems in the community.

 

What is the vision for this community project?

The ideal outcome is a community garden that benefits all who live and work in the neighbourhood. The lane will serve as a meeting space where people can interact, educational workshops can be held and resiliency skills can be obtained by anyone who would like to learn.

The partners are aware of the challenges this public space may encounter, and there are discussions underway on how best to approach potential problems. If you would like to view the vision for this project please contact ConnectiveCollective through one of the Public Participation Process (PPP) channels (see below) and we will forward you the full proposal. Feedback, both for and against, is welcomed as we would like to understand and communicate the community’s views.

Below are the various PPP channels that can be utilised to voice opinions or ask further questions about the project:

  • The email address hanwellgarden@gmail.com (which will also be displayed in the lane).
  • A post box in the lane for residents to hand write and deliver your views.
  • A telephone number, which residents can contact, and a WhatsApp group/ SMS group which residents can join to receive information about the project.
  • A Facebook page where residents can post their views and find more information about the project.

Public meeting: Social housing in Woodstock

The City of Cape Town is organising a public meeting at the Woodstock Hall (31 Plein St) on 18 July @6pm where Mayoral Committee Councillor Brett Herron (MMC for Transport and urban Development) will provide an update on the affordable housing projects in the area and answer questions.

The Woodstock Residents’ Association (WRA) invites all residents and interested parties to come to the meeting. The WRA is a civic association that promotes and supports the wellbeing of all residents living in the area. It provides a platform to share information, to discuss differences and to share agree on common approaches to solving problems in the community. The WRA also represents the community in its relationship with the local authorities and to helps facilitate engagement between local authorities and residents.

For any questions regarding the WRA or to join the Residents Association, contact us on committee@woodstock.org.za.

For any questions regarding the Affordable Housing public meeting, please contact councillor Dave Bryant on 021 487 2001 or dave.bryant@capetown.gov.za or contact Mayco member Brett Herron on 021 400 1298 or Brett.Herron@capetown.gov.za

Planting life and a future – our collaboration with the Streetscapes project

One of the greatest challenges that we face as a community is the reintegration of destitute people back into society. Because of this our Social Officer, Abby, spends a lot of time and energy helping these people reach their full potential. Recently Abby came into contact with a local NPO called Khulisa – which roughly means to enlarge or magnify in Zulu.

Growing change

The organisation is an umbrella under which many different projects rest. Abby resonated with the Streetscapes programme which gives homeless people the opportunity to tend gardens in the city and sell the produce that they grow for a monthly income. Allowing the people to be responsible for their own income is key to integration, as many of these people have low self-confidence. Streetscapes provides training and counselling to support them in their growth and personal healing. Another benefit that the programme offers is to help with finances and savings. The money that is made by the vegetables that are sold is paid directly into the workers’ bank accounts which are set up for them by the Streetscapes staff.

High success rate

According to Jesse Laitinen, a representative of the initiative, this programme works well and there have been great success rates in the past. After 6 months of earning R2 400 per month, 77% of the beneficiaries had moved off the streets and 68% had addressed their dependency on alcohol or drugs. This high success rate is encouraging for the three candidates which are spearheading the pilot programme in Trafalgar Park on WID’s recommendation. Sara Marien Ndhlovu, Theo Luyando and Ndzimeni Wellington Ndayi will be enrolled in the three-month pilot programme between the Woodstock Improvement District (WID) and Khulisa, tending a garden at Trafalgar High School. If all goes well, they will be placed in different locations where similar gardens are being kept around the Woodstock area.

Ndhlovu describes this as ideal she sleeps on the streets in Woodstock in order to find odd jobs quickly. This programme will provide a safe way for her to regain her confidence and provide a stable income with which to support herself and her two-year old daughter.

Luyando had also made it clear that he was the perfect candidate for the project by his eagerness to get back on his feet. He has been homeless for just two years and is positive that the program will provide him with the opportunity he so desperately needs to rebuild his life from the foundations up.

The final candidate in the project is just as eager to generate income with his own two hands: Ndayi had worked for a company for nine years but then lost his job and shortly thereafter became homeless. At 48 years of age, the excitement about restarting his career is palpable. He is particularly excited to be in possession of an ID and bank account.

Safety nets

The contacts built through the programme will prove highly beneficial to navigating out of poverty, not to mention the restoration of dignity through meaningful employment. Throughout the duration of the course they will be monitored, with reports being sent to WID on a monthly basis regarding their progress. Abrahams will be in contact with the Streetscapes team on a regular basis to make sure that the candidates are being given the support they need to succeed and are also delivering on their agreements.

“I’m very excited to see this programme up and running,” Abby says, “it’s had its challenges but I believe that it will be very beneficial for everyone involved.”

How you can help

In order for the programme to be a success, public support is vital. We are asking local businesses to make whatever donation they are able to. The money will fund the fencing, compost, tools and seeds to run the garden. Maintaining the project costs roughly R2 000 per person, per month and the goal is to take on more people in the future. If you are able to, volunteers are often needed to help the workers in any capacity they are able.

Alternatively, if you have a skill that can be taught, we would be grateful for your time and donation of training for those currently looking for employment.

For more information, we encourage you to get in contact with Abby directly on 082 611 0591. You can help people change their lives by giving.

Game changers in the war on water wastage

There is much to be said about the fact that for the foreseeable future Day Zero should not become a reality. Capetonians are breathing a collective sigh of relief at not needing to queue for water anytime soon. The question remains, whose efforts led to staving off that dismal day?

Baseline Coffee

Coffee culture is serious business in Cape Town. Deon and Stacy, the founders of the Baseline coffee roastery, fully agree and live their slogan “Bad coffee shouldn’t happen to good people.”

Recent water saving ventures by this business have proved that they are as serious about conserving our most precious resource as they are about serving quality caffeine. The roastery has implemented changes including recyclable paper cups instead of ceramic, which save 60 litres of water a day previously used to wash cups.

A personal water meter has been installed so that they can monitor their water consumption. They also installed a 1000 litre water tank to supply their customers with non–municipal drinking water.

FCB Cape Town

This advertising agency has been around for a long time and stays ahead of the curve by keeping up to date with trends and evolving alongside the needs of the public.

If they’re half as creative with their campaigns as they have been with their water crisis strategies, we’ll all be buying their clients’ products in no time! They have made significant changes, starting with a move to bottled drinking water. This is also sometimes used for washing dishes.

The agency has also turned off the hydro boils in the kitchen and limited the use of the espresso machine to certain hours of the day. As a precautionary measure, they are also looking to replace crockery with recyclable or disposable alternatives.

The Test Kitchen

Winner of the best restaurant in the country not once but five times, we might have predicted that the innovative minds behind The Test Kitchen would get creative with their water conservation action plan!

Some of their changes include a complete overhaul of the menu to make food that can be prepared with less water and minimal sauces. Others include using the leftover melted ice to wash the floors and installing water saving taps.

The company has also collaborated with another Woodstock based business to serve food on plates that need no washing! Castle Framers constructed plates from obeche wood and coated them with nitrocellulose sealer to ensure the plate is water resistant. The clean look works well with the high – end customers at the restaurant, and every patron is doing their bit not to increase demands on our limited water resources.

We would like to congratulate these wonderful local businesses for taking responsibility and conserving water. Thanks to their efforts we hope to have water in our taps for the foreseeable future!

Drought Business Support

 

Below are the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that we receive from business with regards to the drought, and their answers:

 

Q: How serious is the drought?

This is the worst drought in the region since records began. For the latest dam and consumption levels, please refer to the following resources:

 

Q: What is Government doing to address the drought?

A: All tiers of government are actively responding to the drought crisis through restrictions, reducing their own consumption, awareness raising, augmenting supply, amongst other interventions. For the latest updates please refer below:

 

Q: What can my business do?

Start your business’ sustainable water journey today to:

  1. Improve the understanding of our water use and risks
  2. Increase its water efficiency
  3. Reuse the water we use on-site
  4. Access alternative supplies of water
  5. Work with other businesses to build a better water future together

 

Sustainable water use journey

Figure 1: Stages in the sustainable water journey

 

1. Understand water uses and risks

As the old adage goes, you cannot manage what you do not measure. This is the first step on the sustainable water journey, and perhaps the most important. Businesses need to get a handle on what their water usage is, where it is being used and for what purposes. This can be done by conducting water audits, by installing smart-meters and/or sub-metering your business property. Metering has proven to be an incredibly effective strategy at identifying leaks, so that they can be fixed quickly. Metering alone has helped businesses reduce their consumption significantly due to the identification of leaks and the subsequent behaviour changes. It is also important to note that large water users (using more than 10 000 000 litres per annum) are required to report their water use to the City of Cape Town.

An example of how water use varies by type of facility indicated here.

Understanding how much water is being used, where and how will help you create a resilience plan with the greatest impact. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the quality of water required for your various uses, for example, potable water is not required for flushing toilets and therefore alternative water sources could be explored. You also need to evaluate where your biggest risk from a lack of water may arise. If you (or your suppliers or customers) do not have access to water, how will this impact on your business?

Once your current consumption has been benchmarked, the next step is to create targets for your organisation, linking them to individual users and interventions. Here is an example of a water wise pledge by FEDHASA Cape, that reflects commitment to set targets and openness to accountability. Below are tools and case studies that can assist you in this process, categorised into sectors.

Commercial sector

The Green Building Council of South Africa’s energy and water benchmarking tool provides a guideline for the calculation of your office building’s water (and energy) use. The tool also benchmarks water (and energy) use relative to similar offices and provides an indication of how well your business is faring on scale of 1 -10. This tool has also been utilised to rate Growthpoint Properties in terms of water and energy efficiency on their free mobile app. The dti also financed a detailed report Baseline water use determination and target setting in the commercial sector. If this all seems too complicated, use on of the many international calculators, with the Kohler example being one of the simplest.

Hospitality sector

For hotels, lodges and B&B’s that wish to determine where and how water is used in their establishment as well consider what alternatives are available to reduce water consumption the AquaSmart Hotels tool is available on the Water Research Council (WRC) website. Note, it consists of two excel workbooks, the first is the tool itself and the second is a database where water consumption can be stored. Businesses in the sector can also consider utilising posters to encourage water saving by guests.

Health care facilities

For implementing water efficiency measures in health care facilities, refer to the technical memorandum on water use in hospitals.

Industrial sector

Industrial water use is highly process specific and therefore varies greatly. This is reflected in the range of Natsurvs undertaken by the Water Research Council (WRC) to consider the benchmarks for different industries ranging from laundry to abattoirs. A summary of the Natsurvs is included here with the full details of the Natsurvs available on the WRC website

For business that are interested in undergoing an audit of their water (and or energy, materials or waste) usage, the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) offers free Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) assessments, if you are interested apply on their website.

The importance of understanding water use along the entire value chain is illustrated by the case of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK): 86% of their total water volume is used by their suppliers, while only 3% is used in their own operations. This allowed them to target water projects where they would have the most impact: by supporting farmers in India. In a similar manner, South African Breweries (SAB) noted that the irrigation of barley is a significant input when considering the full value chain and invested in an alternative irrigation method. SAB also supported invasive alien vegetation clearing to offset its water use, which allowed for the complete offset of their water use at SAB’s Ibhayi Brewery in Port Elizabeth and its Newlands Brewery in Cape Town.

Agricultural sector

For businesses in the agriculture sector, the GreenAgri website provide a great overview of available options.

Households and small enterprises

For individuals that want to get to grips with how they can reach the 87 litres a day target, the City of Cape Town’s water consumption calculator helps you figure out where you are using water as an individual.

For the residential sector the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies(EDGE) green building certification system provides a measurable way for residential developers to optimise the performance of their building design.

 

2. Water efficiency interventions

Once your business has identified where its water is being utilised, the next step is implementing water efficient technologies, fittings, processes and behaviours. Toilets, taps and showers typically consume 40-60% of the total annual potable water use in domestic and commercial areas. Therefore, these fixtures are a high impact target area to address when looking to reduce water consumption. They are also relatively easy and cost effective to retrofit with water saving fixtures. Refer to the summary guidelines for the installations of alternative water installations in Cape Town for a comprehensive understanding of the risks and regulatory requirements. These interventions will again vary significantly by sector, but some generic examples are included below.

Water efficient fittings (typically easy to retrofit):

  • Hold-flush or dual flush toilets
  • Waterless urinals
  • Cistern displacement item (older toilets)
  • Low-flow aerated taps
  • Low-flow shower-heads
  • High efficiency pre-rinse spray valves
  • Water efficient dishwashers & washing machines
  • Automatic switch off devices / motion sensor devices – e.g. for cleaning conveyor belts

Water efficient practices:

  • Fix leaks and faulty / leaking equipment & service equipment on a regular basis
  • Uncomplicated reporting procedure for staff to report leaks
  • Optimise the operation of cooling systems
  • Sweeping or mopping floors rather than spraying down floors
  • Implement water wise gardening and do not irrigate with potable water
  • Only operate dishwashers and washing machines when fully loaded
  • Staff training and guest awareness programmes

Commercial Sector

Many of the water efficient fitting examples included above are relevant for offices, and are easy and cheap to install. For further suggestions, refer to the Alliance for water efficiency. Fournos Group, Tanaz Hair and Virgin Active also highlight some of the interventions they undertook when Gauteng faced drought conditions in 2015. This short ENC report highlights some of these interventions that include: more efficient cleaning and less frequent backwashing of pools. The US EPA has also developed an extensive guideline for best management practice in commercial buildings.

Hospitality Sector

There are a number of guidelines for the hospitality sector, including Best Practice Guidelines for Water Usage for Hotel Industry developed by the water supplies department of Hong Kong. This provides a useful guideline for hotels on where water efficiency interventions can be implemented.Green Hotelier also provides an overview of water efficiency interventions that should be considered their Water Management and Responsibility in Hotels article. In recognition of the severity of the drought, 120 hotel leaders in Fedhasa CAPE signed a water pledge on 5 October 2017 to reduce water consumption (through various measures) and to share water use data. FEDHASA Cape will also establish a water-wise task team to assist members in developing water wise policies and implementation plans. Here is an article on how the city’s top hotels are taking action in the drought climate.

Industrial Sector

There are a wide range of industrial sector examples of what can be achieved in terms when water efficient interventions are undertaken in manufacturing processes. Coca-Cola Beverages SA (CCBSA) have been able to reduce the amount of water required to produce one litre of soft drink from 2.13 litres in 2010 to 1.7 litres in 2016. Internationally, a wide range of interventions have successfully implemented in a wide range of companies. These include Ford, Kimball Office, MillerCoors, Cascade Tissue Group and BASF.

Households and small enterprises

For households and small enterprises that are interested in getting to grips with water efficient fittings, JG Afrika’s Domestic Water Saving Fixtures Report provides a great overview of possible interventions. This report proposes a DIY water efficient fixture installation guide for domestic / commercial water users to reduce potable water consumption (and associated costs) in homes and offices.

 

3. On-site reuse

Once the water use has been clearly assessed and efficient processes implemented, the third step is to consider onsite reuse. The primary intention of re-use is to cascade water use between processes where fit-for-purpose quality water is required. Depending on the intended use, the wastewater may require treatment prior to reuse, and may either be treated to potable or non-potable standard.  Greywater from commercial and residential properties can be re-used on-site either outdoors (for garden irrigation) or indoors for toilet flushing if treated. Current technologies for outdoor use range from simple low-tech adaptors to automated systems incorporating basic treatment and irrigation systems.

Table 1: Types of wastewater

Type Description
Industrial effluent This is any wastewater generated by an industrial activity.
Greywater Relatively clean wastewater from handbasins, showers, baths and laundries.
Blackwater Sanitation (toilet) water.

 

Industrial water reuse is an established and growing sector. For example, Ford has invested more than $21-million in a Wastewater Treatment Plant at its Silverton, Pretoria facility. The processes involved in treating industrial process water are complex, but are incentivised by the City of Cape through their industrial water rebate (section 11.16 of their Water and Sanitation Tariff Policies). This allows businesses to recover some of the capital costs they undertake to improve industrial effluent’s quality and quantity. For more information contact the City of Cape Town.

4. Alternative water-supply

In a drought as extreme as the current one, it may be prudent to explore alternative sources of water to secure your business continuity. However, this should not be pursued before the first three steps of the process have been exhausted. Below are the options available to households and businesses (noting that potable water supply remains the responsibility of the municipality):

Rainwater or stormwater harvesting

Rainwater harvesting should be explored as a possible option to supplement supply, but treated with caution. The Western Cape is predominantly a winter rainfall region, and without significant storage, the captured rainfall may not last long into the summer. However it is a good option to explore if you have significant hard surfaces (roofing and paving) where rainwater could be funnelled and captured. To consider how much water you can collect consider that  each square metre of roof area collects 1 litre of water for every 1 millimetre of rainfall received.

The Bayside Mall presents an interesting case where both rainwater and stormwater is being harvested for toilet flushing and irrigation. CTM has also successfully installed at least two rainwater harvesting projects. In addition, CTM plans to consider rainwater harvesting on all new developments as well as part of renovations of existing stores. Utilise the Water Harvesting Tool to help you assess the viability of using rainwater to supplement your supply.

Water storage

Businesses should protect themselves from the risk of municipal water not being available or intermittent through the installation of on-site water storage. It is also important to note that Cape Town’s Water By-law (2010) section 52d require businesses to have some water storage on site.

Groundwater or borehole use

Groundwater or boreholes are a reliable means of accessing water, however the access to this water is limited and regulated carefully. There are effectively three categories of groundwater use:

  • Schedule 1 (of the National Water Act): This is for domestic and non-commercial use only. You will need to register your use with your municipality and ensure that you don’t exceed the abstraction limit of 10 kl/day. This water is typically used for watering residential gardens or common amenity areas
  • General Authorisation: This is when you are abstracting more than the Schedule 1 limit noted above or you intend to utilise this water for commercial purposes, but your usage is below your area’s general authorisation limit and therefore doesn’t require a water use license. The limits, as outlined in the General Authorisation for the Taking and Storing of Water, are very location specific. For example, in most of Cape Town, you can abstract up to 400 kl/hectare/year without requiring a water use license, however in Saldanha Bay and Swartland your general authorisation limit is 150 kl/hectare/year. It is also important note that some areas have a zero general authorisation level, and any water extraction above schedule 1 will require a water use license. You may also not extract more than 40 000 kl/year for one property, regardless of the area you are in. If you meet all of the criteria outlined in the General Authorisation, then you must register your groundwater use with DWS, which can take a few weeks.
  • Water use license: A water use license can be applied for through the DWS’s online Electronic Water Use Licence Application and Authorisation System (e-WULAAS). Please not that this process can take some time, with the department committing to a 300 day deadline from submission to notification of application decision.

Treated municipal effluent

Municipal wastewater is typically treated to “river quality” and returned to rivers or the sea. However, there is growing recognition of the usefulness of this resource for businesses and industry.  While the water has been treated to a safe standard it is not potable, thus not fit for human consumption. The water can however be used for irrigation and could also be treated further, if need be. The City of Cape Town is promoting the use of treated effluent and you can apply to collect this water from your nearest Waste Water Treatment Works (contact details are on the map). Treated effluent water is also substantially cheaper than municipal water so may be a financially sound manner to decrease your business’ use of municipal water. The application form can also be downloaded here.

 

5. Water partnerships and stewardship

This drought cannot be fought alone, and it requires everyone in society to work together to ensure we become more sustainable. There are some great examples of what can be accomplished when organisations collaborate to ensure the scarce water resources are used effectively. Strategic Water Partners Network South Africa highlights projects done by a range of stakeholders including: Anglo American, CocaCola, Eskom, Nestlè, SAB and Sasol. WWF-SA’s Water Balance Programme links corporate water users to the health of our natural infrastructure through positive investment into critical catchments. These investments are used to clear invasive alien vegetation to balance the participant’s operational water use, as well as to mobilise the collective action necessary to ensure the sustainability of these interventions.

Source: https://www.greencape.co.za/content/focusarea/drought-business-support  

GreenCape aims to help businesses collaborate and support each other on their water resilience efforts through the sharing of case studies, reports and industry events. Please share your water journey with us so we can publicise it and sign-up to become a member to ensure you receive all the latest correspondence on our events and reports.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY FORUM ON 16 MARCH 2017

Date   : Thursday 16 March 2017
Time   : 08H30 for 09h00 – 12h30, followed by light lunch
Where: West Campus Presentation Room, Old Mutual head office, Pinelands.
Click here for directions
 

 

 

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

WATER CRISIS – By popular demand, the City’s Water Services Department will explain the current water shortage, what the City is doing, and what is required from business in Cape Town. A new water rating system for companies will also be introduced.

WOOLWORTHS RETAIL CASE STUDY– The Woolworths Palmyra store in Claremont is the first retail outlet in South Africa to achieve a 5-star Green Star SA rating for Existing Building Performance Custom Tenants from GBCSA. Justin Smith will share their water and energy efficiency initiatives.

MAYOR’S NEW TOP ENERGY AND WATER COUNCILLOR  – Cllr Xanthea Limberg is the new Mayoral Committee member for water, energy, waste and informal settlement issues. She’ll speak about the water crisis, and City’s new Energy Directorate and its proposed programme for the next few years.

NATIONAL POLICY INPUTS NEEDED -The Department of Energy currently have important policies out for comment- the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) by end March 2017 and the Post-2015 National Energy Efficiency Strategy by end February 2016. These will be discussed.

PROPOSALS TO BROADEN THE 12L TAX INCENTIVE – SANEDI will share their proposals for alternative, cheaper M&V (dubbed ‘M&V Lite’) for the current 12L tax break, which could make it feasible for more commercial buildings.  Give your input before it goes to National Treasury.

UPDATES FROM:

  • City of Cape Town – policy issues, and electricity & water consumption and small-scale embedded generation levels.
  • Earth Hour – annual event on Saturday 25 March this year
  • Greencape – new CEO/CFO briefing tool for energy management and solar PV
  • SANEDI –National energy service company (ESCo) register being established
  • GBCSA– including new Green Star SA Community tool for precinct scale

There is no attendance fee. Light finger lunch will be served.

–          SITE TOUR: Mutual Park – In 2016 Old Mutual’s Mutual Park building in Pinelands won the EE Forum Award in the Large Building Retrofit category. Its annual saving of about 6 470 MWh is due to a comprehensive set of operational and behavioral changes, including rewarding its staff for saving. A new solar PV installation will save them more. Khiyam Fredericks will be your host. Only 20 places available. Email eeforum@capetown.gov.za to register to attend. Preference will be given to owners and managers of buildings.  

To RSVP email eeforum@capetown.gov.za  or call Busiswa Galada on (021) 487-2022.

REGISTER to become an Energy Efficiency Forum member, if you’re not already- subscribe here.

A helping hand for Woodstock

The primary mandate of Woodstock Improvement District (WID) is to provide safety, security and cleaning services in the Woodstock area. A big part that is sometimes forgotten about is the impact of social upliftment in the community.

Abigail Abrahams, Woodstock’s own Mother Teresa and WID social manager, is the lady behind the many heart-warming things that happen to help those in need. It’s a tough job to keep track of who needs help, but Abi does this by walking the streets, connecting with people in the area and getting to know each family and individual in need – personally. She also gets assistance from the WID drivers who drive her to hot spots in the area. She is so well-known and revered in the community that some of the vagrants even pop in at the office if they need advice or help.

Poverty and homelessness are big issues in Woodstock, as it brings all sorts of destructive activities to the area and the streets. However, these people are also our eyes on the street and are often willing to help as soon as they see that someone cares for them and actually want to help.

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Over the years, WID has formed relationships with a few organisations so that they know who to contact when help is needed. St. Anne’s and ACVV help with assistance for mothers and children, and if they don’t have the capacity to help, Social Services (for children), or shelters like the Haven Shelter (for adults) are contacted. The ultimate goal is to get every person in need placed in a home or shelter, as there are currently 65 homeless people in the area and this is still increasing. WID also assists with getting IDs, going to SASSA to apply for grants, gives counselling and advice, refers clients to drug rehabilitation centres, and assists with typing CVs so unemployed people can find work.

To get a better understanding of why there are so many homeless people, it is important to understand how they got there and what the reasons are. Many of these vagrants are rejected by their families or they’ve come out of prison and land up on the street. Prostitution is also a big issue among the women on the street, as many of them see this as a way to earn enough money to support their drug addiction.

WID currently works with SAPS and other organisations in the community on a holiday programme that will start on 12 December. This programme will focus on child development and keeping children off the streets during the festive season. Pamphlets will also be handed out to raise awareness for the ‘16 days of activism for no violence against women and children’ United Nations campaign that kicks off from 25 November till 10 December.

In 2017, WID will focus specifically on providing those in need with food hampers and clothing. “If we can make these people feel good and look good, they should have more confidence to go for interviews or to go back to their families at home,” says Abigail. To make a success of this initiative, the help of the community will be greatly appreciated and will make a big difference. To do your part and give back this festive season, please donate old clothes by taking them to WID offices at 41 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock. For any other donations, or to help with volunteer work or projects during the holiday period and next year, please send an email to abigail@wid.co.za or give us a call on 021 462 7321.

Lastly, to keep Woodstock safe for everyone is a public effort and we’d like to ask every business and resident in the community to help us by giving us a call or sending us an email if there is anything we should know about. Let’s make this festive season a safe and blessed one for everyone in the area.