06 Feb Banking water is now a necessity

Banking water is now a necessity

It is estimated that by 2025 half of the world’s population could be facing water shortages and by 2030 close to 700 million people could be displaced due to serious water scarcity. These water-stressed areas will include many of the regions and countries responsible for global economic growth.

South Africa is facing a crisis of its own. The water situation is dire due to a few factors that include an increasing population; an infrastructure that is ageing; drought; global warming and now load shedding.

Recent power outages have been frequent and long. The pumps feeding the reservoirs cannot function without electricity and the time in between power outages has not been long enough to ensure enough water is pumped into the reservoirs.

The reservoir storage has declined to 38% from 52% and residential homes and public hospitals are being severely affected by the water shortage.

With the electricity crisis ongoing, a water crisis is unfolding in South Africa and we need to be prepared.

Abeco Tanks was formed in 1983 to offer a solution to the unfolding water scarcity crisis they predicted 39 years ago. For 39 years they have been informing and educating people about the necessity to plan ahead.

They were not alone in predicting this crisis. More than two decades ago it was predicted that 63 billion cubic metres of water would be needed for supply in South Africa by 2025. At that stage, it was known that the dams could only hold 38 billion cubic metres of water and to date, that figure has not changed.

Today Abeco is known to be a reliable and trustworthy partner in the water planning process. Their reputation precedes them in over 30 countries in Africa, Central America and the Middle East where they have successfully been installing their steel water storage tanks.

Water is the most important currency in the world and Abeco is the first to call their tanks ‘water banks’.

“We offer communities and businesses a water continuity plan by banking water.” Says Mannie Ramos Jnr (COO of Abeco Tanks)

Water is essential for the success of the four pillars of the South African economy – mining, industry, business and agriculture and without a continuous and stable water supply, the economy and communities are at risk.

The current water-shedding situation in Gauteng and Tshwane is a wake-up call that the time to plan is now. Water-saving initiatives have already not been addressed early enough.

“The attitude towards water as a valuable and precious resource needs to change in South Africa,” says Ramos “South Africans are currently using on average 300 litres of water a day which is far above the worldwide average of 173 litres a day. This demand is already outweighing supply and needs to be addressed.”

Abeco describes their water banks as income protectors and emergency loan accounts.

Income protectors – when there is an interruption in the water supply your business can continue running and your income and that of your staff are not affected.

An emergency loan account – due to their modular design the water storage tanks can be erected in all areas, remote and non-remote. They can cost-effectively be erected to make sure communities have access to safe and hygienic drinking water. Farmers can continue to irrigate their crops and prevent any food shortages.

The time to bank water is before a crisis hits so that a strain is not put on the existing water supplies when everyone panics and rushes to buy and fill their water storage solutions.

The Abeco steel tanks come in different sizes and shapes. Abeco is an innovative company and their unique engineering technology means they can manufacture any shape tank including circular, rectangular, U-shaped, L-shaped and other odd shapes. The tanks can be custom-made to meet any space restriction or obstruction and to meet the requirements of the client. The tanks can hold from 1800 to 10 million litres of water.

It is important to consult with Abeco Tanks when deciding on the size of the tank needed, for example, for an average-sized business a tank holding 20 000 litres can supply water for 7 days depending on usage.

With their innovative precision punching technology, each steel panel is individually pressed and punched to ensure dimensional accuracy.

Due to the tanks being modular in design they can be easily transported to any location. They also don’t require any heavy and complicated machinery but are bolted together on-site with high-tensile grade nuts and bolts.

All of the steel components are hot dip galvanised and the steel panels are cold pressed using yield stress drawing quality steel. No light can penetrate into the tank and as a result, there is no algae build-up in the water. The water stored in the tanks is hygienic and drinkable.

The continuity of water for any company is necessary for the following safety and hygienic reasons:

• Washing hands
• Washing cutlery and crockery
• Flushing the toilets
• Cleaning the office, factory or warehouse
• Drinking for hydration

Other reasons include:

• Water for processes in factories
• For cleaning and sanitation in clinics
• Hospital operating theatres
• Irrigation for agriculture
• Drinking water for animals

All companies big and small need water. There is no longer a question mark around the necessity to bank water. The businesses that ‘bank’ water will have a competitive advantage and inner peace knowing that they have planned and are prepared. The time to open that water savings account is now.