CAPE TOWN, South Africa—Officials who huddled recently to discuss a debilitating drought delivered an unexpectedly apocalyptic conclusion: Unless Cape Town’s four million residents slash consumption, the seaside city under Table Mountain must take the rare step of shutting its taps to avoid running out of water.
Urban Crisis Cape Town plans to shut off municipal water delivery on July 9 if the supply continues to fall at the current alarming rate.
*Assumes partial compliance with Department of Water and Sanitation restrictions and normal evaporation †Assumes inadequate compliance with DWS restrictions and maximum evaporation Note: Critical and failure zones based on 2017 rainfall levels Source: City of Cape Town Since Feb. 1, Capetonians have lived with some of the most stringent municipal water restrictions on earth—13.2 gallons per person a day, enough on average for a 2-minute shower and three toilet flushes.
Created with Highcharts 6.0.4High and DryRainfall near Cape Town’s reservoirs was at a record low last year, making 2015 to 2017 the driest three-year period on record.Rainfall near Cape Town’s reservoirs was at a record low last year, making 2015 to 2017 the driest three-year period on record.Mean rainfall from three rainfall stations located in the region where Cape Town’s reservoirs are locatedSource: South African Weather Service Politicians are encouraging conservation by flouting unwashed, oily hair and bucket showers.
Police are confiscating hoses from people caught using public water to wash cars or sprinkle lawns.
The government has set a plan to call in the army to secure 200 central collections points, where residents would have to line up.
“There [is] an unreal kind of feeling about trying to fathom the massive impact that Day Zero could actually result in and how we could manage that,” said Xanthea Limberg, the city councilor in charge of Cape Town’s water and sanitation.
Samantha Reinders for The Wall Street Journal Some shops set limits for the amount of bottled water customers could buy.
Police recently ordered Mthokozizi Diwu to stop using water to wash cars and to pay a fine.
Ms. Limberg, the city councilor, said such devices will become standard across Cape Town.