Residents are now being asked to curb the amount of municipal water they use each day to just 50 liters (a little over 13 gallons).
Only a month ago, level 6 restrictions had placed residents on a daily allowance of 87 liters (about 23 gallons), illustrating the severity of looming crisis.
Dubbed Zero Day, officials estimate that if water levels continue to fall as anticipated, South Africa’s second most populous city will run out of water by April 16.
Experts are keeping a close eye on daily consumption in a desperate bid to avoid the disaster, warning residents tempted to ignore measures that they face fines and installation of water management meters if they do not comply.
Not only has Cape Town been engaged in the worst drought in a century for the last three years, but combined with a changing climate and rapidly growing population, the situation has intensified.
"It is quite unbelievable that a majority of people do not seem to care and are sending all of us headlong towards Day Zero," the mayor’s office said in January.
We must force them."
"People were already rushing in and out of the shop to buy water," van der Spuy told CNN.
"This will hopefully assist them as they have to be at work and do not have the time to go to shops during working hours to buy water," van der Spuy said.
It seems like you have to be at the shop as soon as they open in order to get water," van der Spuy added.