Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Bare sand and dried tree trunks standing out at Theewaterskloof Dam, which has less than 20% of its water capacity. Photo: RODGER BOSCH/AFP/Getty Images
Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for water, Xanthea Limberg, said the city's taps are expected to go dry by April 22, per Reuters. That’s puts “Day Zero” fewer than 100 days away.
Picture this: Residents lining up for water, and soon, if there’s no rain to help replenish dams. Dams that supply nearly 4 million people are at under 20% capacity. Residents will have to line up when those levels reach 13.5%, per Reuters.
Why it’s happening:
Cape Town has spent three consecutive years in drought, and rains needed to replenish the dams have not come.
What they're doing:
- Cape Town has implemented level 6 water restrictions and is encouraging people to live on less than 87 liters of water per day. But Limberg said some people aren’t heeding the recommendation, exacerbating the problem.
- This past week the city launched an online water consumption map that allows people to check their neighbors’ water consumption habits, per ABC News.
Up next:
- The city reportedly has a trial water collection site already and is considering adding 200 more. Residents would only be able to take 25 liters of water per day at maximum.