Keeping water bills in check

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has on a number of occasions had to deal with irate farmers fuming over their water bills. Most of the times the farmers would be complaining that the bills are too high and threatening to drive them off the fields. However, farmers can avoid accumulating astronomical bills by properly managing their water use. In fact water management is an important part of farming operations especially taking into account that water is the single most significant determinant of how much land a farmer can plant on. It also has a huge potential to determine the quality of the end crop.

Apart from saving and conserving water as a cost control measure, it must always be in everyone’s mind that water is a highly finite resource which can be exhausted if its use is not controlled.

The first step which farmers should take is to install metres or any other measuring device on their points of abstraction.
Metres will help them to see the amount of water they are using at a given period. Installing water metres is also a legal requirement for anyone who is abstracting water under a permit or agreement. Section 43 of the Water Act compels a permit holder “to provide and install a meter or other measuring device for measuring and recording the amount of water abstracted.”

The metre will also allow ZINWA to bill the farmers on actual consumption rather than estimates.
Farmers should also repair leaks in the irrigation system. The metre would also be very important in determining whether there are any leaks within the irrigation system.

A simple way of checking for leaks is to turn the system off and monitor the metre to see if it is still running. Farmers can also check for perpetual wet spots along the irrigation line. Once any leaks are detected, they need to be repaired as early as possible to avoid further water losses.

When acquiring the irrigation equipment, it is advisable that farmers choose more efficient systems. Farmers should choose irrigation systems that are not susceptible to evaporation. For example it is believed that using sprinklers instead of a stationary or travelling gun can reduce water use by between 5 and 15 percent especially in windy areas.
Using drip irrigation systems in place of a sprinkler can also save up to 20 percent of total water use.

One very important thing which farmers should also do is to know the water requirements of their crops.
Quite a number of farmers are not aware of their crop water requirements and end up using excessively high volumes of water.

Farmers should always consult their extension officers and get advice on crop water requirements save a lot in water and money by sticking to appropriate quantities.
Farmers should also avoid irrigating during hot windy periods. Irrigatin0g during the early mornings or in the evening also saves quite a lot of water. The other thing is that they should irrigate when it is necessary.

From the above, it is therefore evident that farmers can easily assume control of their water use and by extension their water bills.

For more information please contact the ZINWA Corporate Communications and Marketing Department on [email protected] or visit www.zinwa.co.zw. You can also like the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Facebook Page.