If You Think the Water Restrictions in California Are Tough, Check Out Cape Town
Remember earlier in the year when the news was abuzz about Day Zero in Cape Town, South Africa? According to the press at the time, the day was looming when the city of 3.74 million people would run completely out of water. First, the date of Day Zero was heralded as April 16th, then May 11th, then June 4th.
Calculating Day Zero took into account maximum evaporation (based on temperature and wind) and existing patterns in agricultural and urban use—an equation that considered both natural and man-made conditions. (source)
Now, they’re saying the disaster has been averted for now, but that it could happen in 2019. And if you think the water restrictions in California are tough, wait until you see what they’re doing in Cape Town.
So how did Cape Town avoid Day Zero?
Day Zero was delayed by a combination of things. Fortunately, there was some rainfall, and citizens went to great effort to reduce their water usage. There was a public campaign to basically scare Capetonians into compliance with conservation efforts.
Late last year, as the South African government faced the prospect of its largest city running out of water, they took an unprecedented gamble.
The government announced “day zero” – a moment when dam levels would be so low that they would turn off the taps in Cape Town and send people to communal water collection points.
This apocalyptic notion prompted water stockpiling and panic, caused a drop in tourism bookings, and raised the spectre of civil unrest.
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