WATER CONSER VATION
V&A Waterfront’s journey to saving water Residents in drought-stricken Cape Town are not the only ones who have tightened their taps. The V&A Waterfront (with 24 million visitors annually) has taken numerous steps towards saving water. By Kirsten Kelly
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egarded as the premier tourist destination in South Africa, the V&A Waterfront has applied green business practices throughout its portfolio. Mareli Cloete, senior manager: SHE & Utilities, mentions that the mixed-use waterfront has implemented water-saving initiatives since as far back as 2008. “We realised back then that water resources were coming under pressure. Over the years, the V&A Waterfront has committed to optimal levels of resource efficiency.” Measuring water usage In order to improve water efficiency, one must measure water usage. The V&A Waterfront has various monitoring and metering systems and processes. These include smart metering systems,
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a building management system, leak detection systems, and a metric indicator dashboard that shows real-time tenanted consumption data. For irrigation, the property is divided into zones. Each zone is fitted with its own water meter, isolation valves and leak detection system, so it is easy to monitor consumption and repair leaks. The V&A Waterfront has a dedicated Utilities team that focuses on trend analysis. Concentrating on attracting ‘green tenants’, the V&A Waterfront has implemented a ‘green lease’ that contains performance clauses on reporting and consumption. Water meters are installed in all tenant premises. “We measure our performance against a 2010 baseline. Today, the V&A Waterfront has reduced its water consumption by
Mareli Cloete, senior manager: SHE & Utilities, V&A Waterfront
almost 60% – even though the size of the property has increased by way of development,” states Cloete. A number of water-saving initiatives and tools have been implemented. Landscaping Drip irrigation has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimise evaporation. Cloete says that roughly 6 000 m² are fed by drip irrigation, which only makes up 12% of the total landscaped area. “The rest of the area uses spray irrigation, where we run the system for only 30 minutes, as opposed to one hour, and we try to use non-potable water as much as possible. All irrigation is turned off during the winter months, only allowing for irrigation during summer months. We have also replaced water-thirsty plants
