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World Water Day: JSE-listed property group shares its water saving initiatives

World Water Day / NOWinSA: Our survival from the current dire water conditions is dependent on the actions taken today, and one company, the Liberty Two Degrees shows us how we can all play our part

Close to 40% of the world’s total of 663 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live without access to clean water. Access to safe water is defined as “safely managed drinking water service,” and is accessible on the premises, as and when needed, and free from contamination.

However, the current dire water conditions in Southern Africa, including South Africa has made matters even worse, with the city of Cape Town still trying hard o recover from the worst drought ever in over 100 years.

The combination of poor water and drought sets off a vicious cycle from which many malnourished children could never recover.
And as experts have warned, our survival from many of these crises is dependent on the actions taken today. As such this calls for a fresh review or regulation of the use, flow and control of all water by all; the government, citizens and businesses.

Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) shares its water saving initiatives

The property group owns a portfolio of premium retail properties including the Sandton City, Melrose Arch, Eastgate and Nelson Mandela.

L2D is therefore cognisant of how important it is to converse and  optimise the use of natural resources for the day-to-day functioning of its businesses.

“As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we have developed a water efficiency policy that commits the portfolio to continuous water performance monitoring and assessment,” said Jonathan Sinden, chief operations officer of L2D adding: “We have set ourselves ambitious targets to implement alternative water sources such as recycled greywater, onsite water treatment and rainwater harvesting to reduce the portfolio’s water consumption.”

Leading by example

L2D has implemented the following initiatives across its portfolio:

Liberty Century City in Western Cape has had aerators installed in all restrooms
  • In the Western Cape, Liberty Promenade and Liberty Century City have had aerators installed in all restrooms, drastically minimising water consumption across both properties.
  • Furthermore, a reverse osmosis plant at Liberty Century City, is currently being commissioned. This plant will take the water needs of the entire building off the municipal water grid, by treating supplied greywater to class zero drinking water.
  • A rainwater harvesting and treatment solution at Liberty Promenade was commissioned at the end of 2018 to be, able to deliver non-potable water to toilets and urinals in bathrooms.

Commenting on the importance of sustainable investing, Sinden said: “Managing scarce resources is everybody’s responsibility. We have therefore integrated this into the way that we do business. It is embedded as a strategic pillar of striving to future proof our assets. Decisions which require financial capital today contribute to the long-term sustainability of the business and are key to driving growth.”

*For brand focused South African news and heads-up on the great things your favourite lifestyle brands are doing to empower local communities, make sure to visit the Empower SA page daily!

Tankiso Komane
Tankiso Komane
A Tshwane University of Technology journalism graduate, Tankiso Komane has a vast experience in print & broadcast media business and has worked for some of the country’s biggest daily newspapers, including The Sowetan, The Citizen, The Times, and The New Age. Through her varied work as a journalist, notably as a copywriter for SABC1 (On-Air promotions) and as a publicist for Onyx Communications, she has developed an in-depth understanding of the nature of the media business and how to use it for the purpose of exposure. Her expertise in journalism across various disciplines, coupled with a good reputation, has laid the foundation of a new kind "trust in Journalism" as the media ecosystem continues to digitally evolve.
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