Gqeberha automotive components supplier Q-Plas saved 171.72 kilolitres of water between August and October 2021 through rainwater harvesting, enough to fill 34 of the facility’s 36 water tanks, each with a 5,000-litre capacity.
“Water is an integral part of our manufacturing process. Following a business decision, we collaborated with the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) and embarked on phase 1 of our rainwater harvesting system,” said Director, Nico Serfontein.
“This reduces dependency on municipal potable water, ensuring that operations remain uninterrupted and free from quality issues on the water lines.”
He said saving money wasn’t the main reason installing the rainwater harvesting system. “While water is a scarce commodity, it is relatively affordable. This is about managing risk and being environmentally responsible. This project has helped us to secure operations despite water challenges in the area and made us environmentally sustainable for the future.”
Andrea von Holdt, CDC’s Environmental Project Manager, Operations commended the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park (NMBLP)-based company on its water saving efforts. “Owing to ageing infrastructure, coupled with severe drought throughout the Eastern Cape, investors are all encouraged to apply principles of environmental best practise, which include measures to reduce water consumption and to harvest rainwater,” she said.
“The CDC recognises the measure by Q-Plas as an example of leading the way in sustainable resource use. The CDC is committed to implementing environmental best practise within the Coega SEZ and the NMBLP. Emphasis is placed on the economic value of our natural resources, which includes our water resources.”
Q-Plas’s rainwater harvesting system was installed in July 2021 and is now showing a significant reduction in potable water consumption and dependency on external water sources, which equates to a water saving of 171.72 KL over the past three months. This will allow the company to operate for three weeks solely from harvested rainwater.
It plans to install additional tanks to increase its rainwater harvest capacity from 180,000 to 360,000 litres.
