SMMEs building resilience through investment in water saving interventions

BG Servers, a drum reconditioning SMME in Cape Town, reduced its municipal water consumption by 97% between 2009 and 2021. By installing rainwater harvesting and borehole systems, and introducing a vacuum residue system, the company decreased annual municipal usage from 2,300 kl to under 70 kl. These interventions resulted in cumulative municipal account savings of approximately R740,000 from 2011 to 2021. The company's efforts were recognized by the City of Cape Town with a 5-star water rating certification in 2022.

• BG Servers achieved a 97% reduction in municipal water consumption between 2009 and 2021, dropping from approximately 2,300 kl per annum to between 60-70 kl per annum.
• The company implemented a multi-stage technical strategy to replace municipal water in process operations, including a rainwater harvesting system installed in 2008, a borehole for groundwater abstraction in 2011, and retrofitting toilets to use non-potable water in 2017.
• Water-saving interventions provided significant financial returns; between 2011 and 2021, BG Servers saved R530,000 via the borehole system and R210,000 via rainwater harvesting, totaling approximately R740,000 in municipal account savings.
• The company improved operational efficiency and environmental impact by installing a vacuum system in 2017 to extract residues from containers, which reduced the water required for cleaning, and by installing a 24kW solar PV plant to reduce energy costs.
• The City of Cape Town recognized the company's water management efforts through its water star rating certification, awarding BG Servers 4 stars in 2018 and 5 stars in 2022.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). SMMEs building resilience through investment in water saving interventions. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CoCT-case-study_Water_SMMEs-building-resilience-through-investment-in-water-saving-interventions_Nov22.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. SMMEs building resilience through investment in water saving interventions. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CoCT-case-study_Water_SMMEs-building-resilience-through-investment-in-water-saving-interventions_Nov22.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=SMMEs building resilience through investment in water saving interventions |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CoCT-case-study_Water_SMMEs-building-resilience-through-investment-in-water-saving-interventions_Nov22.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendsmmes, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{SMMEs building resilience through investment in water saving interventions}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CoCT-case-study_Water_SMMEs-building-resilience-through-investment-in-water-saving-interventions_Nov22.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }