Letter to the Editor-Proposing a simpler sustainable solution to Seychelles’ water problem |28 November 2007

Seychelles have had the same water reserve mainly (La Gogue and Rochon dam) since the 70’s supplying the whole of Mahe.

Since then, Seychellois population have grown tremendously, not to mention all the hotel development going on; therefore new sustainable strategies are needed to deal and manage water shortages during drought periods, and water saving devices are not the answer.

Most water chlorinated and treated by PUC is consumed at Residential level.  Since Residences offer more architectural design flexibility, sustainable principles can be adopted to reduce and minimize impact on PUC water system, such as Rain Water Harvesting. It is free and in abundance.

We need clean (PUC) water for drinking, bathing and washing only.
Toilet and Landscape can easily be substituted by rain water; therefore taking tremendous pressure on PUC while saving billions of gallons of expensive chlorinated water. 

All is needed is a tank or two fitted with a filtration system, hooked up to the gutter and downspout, then connected to the toilet.  When it runs out then PUC water can take over but by then several gallons would have been saved for emergency use.

A very simple system that is vastly used in Australia due to dry climate and very easy to install.

Then on, several other water saving principles and devices can be adopted, such as:
Outdoor:

• Water landscaping and automobile only when needed.
• Water between 4 p.m. and 9 a.m., when there is less evaporation.
• Check faucets and hoses regularly and repair any leaks.
• Mulch “Fimien” plants well to prevent moisture loss.

Indoor:
• Install 1.6 gallons-per-flush, ultra-low-flow toilets. This cuts the amount of water that goes down the drain with each flush by 50 percent or more.
• Check your toilets for leaks. Replace the tank’s rubber flapper if it is causing the leak.
• Take shorter showers.
• Limit showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rinse off. Better still, shut off the flow of water while soaping and shampooing. Turn the water back on to quickly rinse.
• Install water-saving showerheads. All new shower heads use 2.5 gallons per minute or less.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and while shaving.
• Wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing before you brush your teeth.
• Install a high-efficiency clothes washer. These use up to 40 percent less water than a standard washer.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This stops the wasteful practice of running tap water to cool it for drinking.
• Don’t leave the rinse water running if you wash dishes by hand. Also, using the least amount of detergent necessary minimizes the rinse water needed.
• Defrost frozen food without running water over the package. Place food in the refrigerator overnight or defrost it in the microwave.
• Rinse vegetables in a filled sink or pan instead of under running water.
• Fix leaking plumbing joints. This can save up to 20 gallons of water per day.
These are some very simple and safe practices that can save Seychelles water system, eventually the whole matrix needs to be studied and designed efficiently to accommodate all.  PUC and its engineers are considering costly projects that will have major impacts on Seychelles water reserve; they need to take a step back from these complex projects for the sake of Seychelles future generation.
We don’t realize the necessity of water until it runs out.

Paul Lesperance
American Institute of Architect