South Africa has come a long way in adopting greener, more sustainable practices in the home and garden. Crippling droughts have been the turning points needed to change mindsets, and today, more landscaping and design projects incorporating a pool are underpinned by water-smart practices, according to PowerPlastics Pool Covers. However, there is still work to be done.

At the start of any new pool build, landscaping project or renovation, one needs a clear vision for the space that considers sustainability. Adding a pool cover is the first step and should be planned for early. PowerPlastics Pool Covers can guide on the best cover for the setting and needs. The GeoBubble range is a great solution for water saving, while offering savings on heating and electricity. If child safety is a concern, the PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover covers that too.

On a typical summer day in South Africa, tests show that the average pool will lose 105 litres a day. Add a pool cover and water evaporation is curbed by 98%.

“Think of all the pools in the country losing that amount of water each day – it is a staggering amount. During the drought and facing a Day Zero scenario, it all suddenly clicked for pool owners that pool covers keep water IN the pool; however, we should now evolve further and strive for water-neutral pools,” says Roger Bester of PowerPlastics Pool Covers.

A water-neutral pool is one that has only natural water in it. Zero municipal water. It simply requires pool owners to introduce rainwater harvesting and storage systems. Even if there is no pool, these are excellent tools for water-neutral gardens.

PowerPlastics Gutter Sleeves are simple to set up and channel rainwater into the pool. PowerPlastics Pool Covers has also designed an innovative Rainwater Harvester. It has a pillow shape and lies on the ground next to a gutter downpipe, inflating as water flows into it. The water is released under gravity feed via a normal garden hose connector. To increase the volume of water stored at any one time, multiple Harvesters can be interconnected in a series. Because the Harvester stores water in a completely sealed environment, sunlight cannot penetrate and algae growth is avoided, thereby improving the water hygiene without chemical treatments.

“Consider that one millimetre of rain on one square metre of roof yields one litre of water. Over one wet season, this is a vast amount of water from an entirely natural and free resource! And that’s how water-neutral pools and gardens are achieved.

“Being water-neutral is the ultimate ‘green’ achievement for anyone serious about sustainability and making real changes that improve South Africa’s water security. The tools and innovations around water-smart properties are just getting better and better. The challenge now is keeping it up, and we’re not just talking about homeowners making small changes here and there. Golf estates and gated communities, gyms and schools, hospitality and safari establishments, BnBs and Airbnbs – every venue should have pool covers in place and aim for water neutrality by storing free water,” concludes Bester