Studies conducted by public–private civil-society collaboration the 2030 Water Resources Group indicate that, by 2030, there will be a 17% gap between water supply and water demand if users continue a similar water consumption pattern without planning for future demand.

However, commercial ware-washing company Winterhalter SA believes that small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs), particularly the hospitality industry, can make a significant difference in the preservation and management of water through filtering and bottling water directly on site, says Winterhalter SA MD Brandon Park.

With this in mind, the company has introduced the Eau de Vie package – a special filter system called SilverSix, which removes impurities that adversely affect water flavour and smell. The filtered water is then chilled and dispensed through a tap, which delivers still and sparkling water.

“Eau de Vie has ensured that this is a very simple system to manage – from the water filtering to the handling of reusable bottles; everything is streamlined to assist with ease of operation,” Park says.

He adds that installation is also designed to reduce disruption, as the system is available in freestanding units and tabletop models. Remote models are also available, where the unit is installed remotely to the tap for flexible installation to existing counters or fabricated base units. This provides owners and designers with a flexible system, which can easily be integrated into site operations, Park points out.

Depending on the model, an Eau de Vie system can filter and chill from 50 ℓ to unlimited litres of water an hour.

Park further highlights that restaurants, hotels, educational establishments and high-profile public spaces, can also benefit from premium-quality still or sparkling drinking water on tap.

Winterhalter SA started to install the systems in March and has installed eight systems for SMMEs in the Western Cape since then. Park further notes “an upsurge” this year, mainly attributing it to the rising costs of buying bottled water and an increasing awareness of green trends. He, therefore, believes that demand for the systems can only increase.

Implementation Success
The Eau de Vie tabletop system has been implemented at Cape Town restaurant Bocca. “Not only does Eau de Vie tick the ‘green’ box for Bocca, it has also proven to be . . . cost effective,” says owner Neil Grant.

He notes that the cost of a litre of water, still or sparkling, ranges between 35c and R1.75 a litre, depending on whether the system is used to full capacity. “This is a massive difference to the cost of prepared bottled water of about R2.30 and more for a litre,” Grant adds.

Elaborating on the awareness of green trends, Park notes that, as Eau de Vie’s water filtration systems produce freshly filtered, still or sparkling drinking water on demand, directly from any local mains supply, there are no transportation costs, bottle recycling, disruptive deliveries or bulky container storage requirements.

This also assists with waste management, he says, pointing out that, of the 108-million tons of waste generated in 2011 in South Africa, 59-million tons were general waste. Only 65% of waste generated in South Africa is recyclable.

“Although polyethylene terephthalate bottles are recyclable, plastic water bottles are shielded from sunlight in landfills and can take thousands of years to decompose.”

Therefore, Eau De Vie reduces recycling by supplying reusable, glass bottles to customers. “This green initiative assists in reducing the carbon footprint of many business and government clients,” Park emphasises.

Eau de Vie is also trialling a public water-fountain-type solution in the UK. Park explains that the solution comprises large freestanding units, installed by the municipalities, which dispense fresh still or sparkling water into prepurchased bottles on demand to the public.