In 2018, the Western Cape province in South Africa experienced an intense drought that was considered one of the worst of the century. The absence of significant rainfall for more than three years affected its communities and infrastructure - including vital services such as hospitals.
To address the water shortage, District Six Clinic implemented a rain harvesting system that collects water in two reservoirs. During the four-months evaluation period, harvested water contributed to 21% of the facility’s total water consumption, and no fire water was used - that is, water that has been used in firefighting and that requires special care in its disposal.
District Six Clinic is part of the Western Cape Government’s Department of Health, which comprises more than 200 facilities and over 25,000 health care staff. After the successful implementation of this system, this rain harvesting design will be replicated in other facilities.
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