Cape Town, a major city is running out of water

[imastawka]

The day for the water cut-off was April 16th, but now has been pushed to May 11.

It's being called 'Day Zero'

They have less than 100 days left of drinking water.

This is catastrophic.

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."

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/cape-town-pushes-tap-closure-day-52844541

[ecar3483]

Death by a thousand cuts, or a slow motion disaster in the making?

The poor blame the middle classes, and the middle classes blame the poor...

Point your finger in the appropriate direction and say "They're squandering water like it's water...!".

🙂

[chameleon54]

A sign of things to come maybe. Humans have bred up to plague proportions everywhere. Mother earth can no longer support the mass swarms of humans, eating, polluting, slashing and burning, destroying every inch of the planet. In our arrogance, we believe we are too smart and immune from inevitable consequences.

 Like all plagues, famine, drought and disease is natures way of restoring balance.

[davidc4430]

it reminds me of the words of a once nation leader who said.....

Climate Change Is Carp!

[davidc4430]

oh, and we live on a planet where 2 thirds is covered in water

[lyndal1838]

Australia has had country towns which were very close to running out of water.

During the 2005/6 drought Goulburn was down to 10 days of drinking water.....there had been level 5 water restritions in force for several years and the local workers club was serving beer in plastic cups so they did not have to wash the glasses.

The governement was contemplating moving low and medium security prisoners out of Goulburn, just leaving the SuperMax section in operation.  Even the Council swimming pool had been closed.

My daughter used to come to Sydney every 2 weeks complete with most of her washing and 2 little girls who thoroughly enjoyed splashing around in a very full bath of water.  She also had a couple of 44gallon drums in the F100 which helped with the water for the animals for a few days every 2 weeks.

[bushies.girl]

People who live in cities/large towns etc., seem to have no concept re saving water. They just assume that it will always be available whenever they feel the "need" to use it.  

Here in the bush, nothing is taken for granted, most of the farmers in my area are on tank water, thus not one drop gets wasted as through summer nothing falls from the sky to replace it. 

[lyndal1838]

Goulburn in NSW is a regional city and believe me all the citizens knew about water restrictions, as did those family members who were not living in the local area.

Sydney was also on water restrictions at the time but not nearly as severe as Goulburn.  My daughter dropped some washing at her sister's place, another load with me, along with the girls who headed straight into the bathroom and then took the remainder to her grandfather's place.  It was all done in a few hours and we all met at my Father's place for tea.

[bushies.girl]

I am assuming they have had rain since then, so hopefully they are still being careful re not wasting water   ..... 

[lyndal1838]

Of course they have had rain since 2005/6 but the severe conditions then forced the government into increasing the water storage facilities in the area.

At the height of the restrictions in Goulburn they were restricted to 20 litres of water per person per day and no outside usage at all.  After a string of severe storms the ristrictions were relaxed from Level 5 to Level 3 by mid 2007.  Goulburn won a National Award for Saving Water due to their efforts in 2005/6.

I doubt that there is anyone in NSW who lived through those years who has not changed their attitude to water usage.  We still have restrictions but they are very mild compared to what they were then and most of us have no trouble keeping well within the rules without even realising it.

Many of us sank bores or put in water tanks at the time and still use them without a second thought.