Cape Town officials are tightening water restrictions amid claims the city could run out of water by April 21.
After three years of intensive drought, officials say residents are bracing for "Day Zero," the day water could stop flowing.
South Africa’s second-largest city would be the first major city in the developed world to run out of water, if residents do not heed new stricter water measures.
Starting Feb. 1, Cape Town will force residents to cut their water consumption to 13.2 gallons per day, down from 23 gallons.
This means limiting the amount of water you drink, limiting the showers that you take."
"We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water.
The mayor also announced the city moved "Day Zero" up a day because of the overuse of water.
But other experts say city planners failed to anticipate that the city’s six dams, which are sourced by rainfall, would run out of water as drought worsened and the population grew, Fihlani says.
Dam levels have dropped to 15.2 percent capacity of usable water, down from 77 percent in Sept. 2015, according to The Los Angeles Times.
As The Los Angeles Times notes: Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and provincial authorities have accused the national African National Congress government of failing to build and maintain new infrastructure and send adequate emergency drought relief.