Day Zero Set For Cape Town

Often, natural resources are taken for granted, such as trees, clean air, and water. However, the residents of Cape Town, South Africa at the moment are anything but ungrateful for every drops of usable water they can acquire. As water become scarce, an order to be taken effect on February 1^st “will cut city resident’s daily water usage by nearly half over current restrictions” (Lynn, 2018). This is over a “calls to limit individual consumption to 87 liters per day” (Calder, 2018). Which in perspective, is around 23 containers of gallon milk. In comparison, the estimated water usage for the average American is somewhere between 80 and 100 gallons a day.

               The three year of ongoing drought bringing in 1/3 of the expected rainfall has caused dams and reservoirs to be sitting at 27.2% of the capacity (Calder, 2018). Once the capacity hits 13.5% capacity, or day zero, water supply will the turned off to all but essential services such as hospitals. Afterward, the nearly 4 million residents will be able to collect 25 liters (6.6 gallons) of water per person from 200 collection points (Calder, 2018).

               While here in America, we are fortunate enough to have systems in place to prevent or lessen the blow of such natural disaster. But for a city like Cape Town, there are already reports of organized gangs set up around the water crisis, stocking large plastic water containers with water and reselling in black market manner (Calder, 2018). As Day Zero is coming close, estimated at April 12, residents at Cape Town are urged to keep their water consumption to the bare minimum needed. Meanwhile, tourist who come to Cape Town are to “save like a local”. Simple acts such re-using towels instead of asking for a new one daily, avoiding washing clothes until a full load’s worth of laundry, limiting showers to two minutes or sparing showers altogether, and even flushing the toilet as little as possible (MacMath, 2018). The last one is particular important as each flush uses between 6 and 15 liters depending on the kind of toilet.

               Nature should never be taken for granted, as seen, while some might have one natural resource plentiful, others are going by the flush available.

References: 

Lynn, B. (2018, January 22). With Water Supply Nearly Dry, Cape Town Declares 'Day Zero'. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/cape-town-declares-day-zero-as-water-supply-nearly-gone/4214083.html

Calder, S. (2018, January 24). Cape Town drought: City beyond 'point of no return' and will run out of water in April, warns mayor. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cape-town-drought-water-shortage-tourists-reservoir-south-africa-a8175686.html

MacMath, J. (2018, January 24). 'We have reached a point of no return': Cape Town set to run out of water despite contingency plans. Retrieved January 27, 2018, from https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/we-have-reached-a-point-of-no-return-cape-town-set-to-run-out-of-water-despite-contingency-plans/70003940