But there’s also a great deal to worry about beyond the city’s limits and deeper into the surrounding farmlands of the Western Cape.
There’s a real risk that the water shortage could see farmers’ yields decimated during this growing season which is from September to March for irrigated crops, and from from May to October for rainfed crops.
The Australian case Australia’s Millennium drought was categorised by low rainfall conditions in late 1996 and throughout 1997 in southern Australia.
Farmers in the region relied solely on water from dams for agriculture and domestic consumption.
The drought also changed the way Australian agriculture treated its water resources, and those who depended on them.
But there are some important differences between Australia and South Africa.
In 2017 there were 215 000 employees in the agriculture sector in the region, an estimated 75% were seasonal workers.
Seasonal workers in South Africa usually settle in the production area, often in informal settlements.
Significant job losses in the agricultural sector could also lead to considerable social unrest, as happened in the past.
Impact of the drought The drought has already begun to affect how farmers use water.