Nerina Gardens has taken water saving to the next level with the help of the Fish Hoek Garden Club.
The club wanted to make a charitable donation in celebration of Fish Hoek’s centenary and decided to donate money towards a JoJo tank for Nerina Gardens.
The club’s chairwoman, Sue Wilkes, said her father had lived at Nerina Gardens for 25 years before his death in 2000 and the place was close to her heart.
The 5 000-litre tank is one of three at the retirement village and was installed six weeks ago.
Maintenance manager Jay Davis said water was supplied to the entire premises by JoJo tanks and although they still used municipal water, their water usage had dropped a lot since the tanks had been installed.
He said the tank from the garden club supplied water to eight independent cottages as well as a three-storey wing housing assisted, semi-frail care and independent-living residents.
He said the JoJo tank was filled with well-point water which was filtered and tested every three months to ensure it was safe for consumption.
Water is then pumped into the building where it is used by residents.
Residents in the independent cottages also catch rainwater from the gutters.
Nerina Gardens manager Margaret Tailford said they were very grateful to the garden club for its donation.
She said the home was redoing the gardens and planting succulents and water-wise plants.
They are also using plastic covers on the tables in the dining room to prevent table cloths from being washed frequently and have reduced shower times for residents.
Demand taps have also been installed in public areas as part of their water saving initiative.
“Every drop counts,” said Ms Tailford.
