CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Cape Town has pushed back “Day Zero” — the date when it might have to turn off most taps because of a long drought — by nearly a month to May 11.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Cape Town has pushed back “Day Zero” — the date when it might have to turn off most taps because of a long drought — by nearly a month to May 11.
Cape Town authorities said Monday that the reprieve is due to an anticipated decline in agricultural use of water because many farms in Western Cape province, which includes the city, have used up water supplies allocated to them. Officials had previously projected “Day Zero” to fall on April 16.
Municipal officials, however, say city residents must stick to regulations requiring them to use fewer than 50 liters (13.2 gallons) per person daily to avoid the tap closure. They say seasonal rainfall expected to start around May is likely to be low.
From Cape Town’s elegant suburbs to its gritty townships, people are working to reduce their water consumption. People restrict how often and how long they shower, wash clothes and flush toilets in order to conserve water. Police are guarding some natural springs to avoid any scuffles over access to the increasingly precious liquid.
Cape Town, a top international tourist destination, has both high-income oceanside neighborhoods and sprawling informal settlements. Some say poorer residents are unfairly blamed as concerns rise over wasting water. About a quarter of Cape Town’s population lives in the informal settlements, where they get water from communal taps instead of individual spigots at home. The 1 million people in Cape Town’s poor townships make up 25 percent of the city’s 4 million people yet only use 4.5 percent of the water, say water experts.
The use of city drinking water to wash vehicles, hose down paved areas, fill up private swimming pools and water gardens is illegal. Residents using too much water will be fined.
Some 70 percent of water used in Cape Town is consumed in homes, authorities say. Experts have said causes of the city’s water shortages include climate change and huge population growth. The city’s reservoirs have been dried by three straight years of drought.
In the seaside town of Scarborough, resident Kelson da Cruz demonstrated the new normal of water rationing, pointing out the bucket beside his shower. Everyone is working to change their habits in order to save water, said da Cruz: “You can’t just take for granted something so precious.”
In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 photo, Kelson da Cruz taps water from his self installed water tank in the seaside town of Scarborough, outside Cape Town. South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, Faldela Dixon talks to a customer at her flower shop in Cape Town. Dixon says customers don’t buy as many flowers because of the drought, as they don’t want to waste water to water the flowers. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, a man taps water from a source of natural spring water in Cape Town. South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Feb. 2, 2018 photo, a woman collects water in a settlement near South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town. About a quarter of Cape Town’s population lives in the informal settlements, where they get water from communal taps instead of individual taps at home like in the richer suburbs. And they use 4.5 percent of the total water consumption. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 photo, residents wait in a queue to fill containers with water at a source for natural spring water in Cape Town.South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. Residents are asked to use no more than 50 liters of water daily.(AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 photo, Cape Town’s main water supply from the Theewaterskloof dam outside Grabouw, is largely empty. South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 photo a woman throws away used water in an informal settlement near Cape Town. About a quarter of Cape Town’s population lives in the informal settlements, where they get water from communal taps instead of individual taps at home like in the richer suburbs. The people in informal settlements only use 4.5 percent of the total water consumption in the city. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, a woman brushes her teeth in an informal settlement near Cape Town on. South Africa’s. About a quarter of Cape Town’s population lives in the informal settlements, where they get water from communal taps instead of individual taps at home like in the richer suburbs. And they use 4.5 percent of the total water consumption. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 photo, a man carries water at a source for natural spring water in Cape Town. Residents are allowed to use no more than 50 liters of water daily. South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, a public pool in Cape Town has been closed for months due to a lack of water in the city. South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, the city of Cape Town in South Africa is seen from a hilltop at sunrise. A severe drought has caused water problems in and outside the city, which is located next to the Atlantic Ocean. The city introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” the day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 photo, a Cape Town resident sorts out his containers as he arrives at a source of natural spring water in the city. Residents are allowed to use no more than 50 liters of water daily. Growing tensions at the source have led to one arrest earlier last week. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, the city of Cape Town in South Africa is seen from a hilltop at sunrise. A severe drought has caused water problems in and outside the city, which is located next to the Atlantic Ocean. The city introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
In this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 photo, a police officer stands stands guard at a source of natural spring water in Cape Town. Growing tensions at the source have led to one arrest last week. South Africa’s drought-hit city of Cape Town introduced new water restrictions in an attempt to avoid what it calls “Day Zero,” a day in May when it might have to turn off most taps. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
