Cape Town (South Africa) - "Day Zero" looms for water!

a reply to: testingtesting

Yes there is hoarding going on at the moment, although this is illegal for municipal water.
If the city realizes you are using more water than allocated, they will actually put a water restraining device on your property, and there are massive fines, and even jail sentences for "water thieves".

But people are having tanks filled up by farmers and so forth with boreholes across the country, and obviously the price of store-bought water has sky-rocketed. Water is currently big business in Cape Town.

And watching letters to the local press, there's already a simmering tension between communities, especially after news that taps in informal settlements will stay on after Day Zero (and apparent water wastage there, despite a media narrative about "leafy suburbs"). There's a growing sentiment that the economic migrants from other countries and provinces who have never paid water rates and taxes here must go home immediately.

You cannot have a four-fold increase in population without increasing your resources at the same time.
The slight surplus that once existed to carry us through tough times is no longer there with the extra population pressure.
A salient point for any city that's a target of mass migration without influx control.
All it takes is one minor drought or disaster, and Day Zero is in the pipeline.
Although no open conflict yet, the possibilities are frightening.

a reply to: halfoldman

If true..The CT municipality is probably concerned about bloody riots,destruction and looting,that's why they will keep the taps running in the informal settlements.

Some YouTube opinions on the Cape Town water crisis:







Many more clips on Cape Town recently (not sure I have the best), but I obviously wanted to avoid those with expletives on ATS.

Cape Town - where sober people are going to have fist-fights about water at 4 am in the morning.

Going to get water dude?
Hail, and fare ye well.

I heard recently that the news channels should avoid the term: "Day Zero"?

It sounds too negative and is causing panic.

I must still check sources on this.

Just now the world thinks we're a doo-doo-hole.

Not sure where they could get that impression.

Nope, let's rather call it: "Let's sweep our dams day!"

a reply to: halfoldman

You're painting an horrific picture if this 'day zero' policy is implemented. If branches of the city's water mains are shut off then what's the situation in the event of fire, assuming the fire fighters need to connect their fire hoses to dedicated hydrants in the streets?

a reply to: Pilgrum

It's a nightmare bro.

It was 37 degrees this afternoon.

Very hot.

But too scared to put on the fan in case the embers (from cigarettes) make a fire.

Already fires behind us, but I already said we got to get new fire-extinguishers.

But not happy with the risk at all.

a reply to: halfoldman

I see we're sending the Oz cricket team over to play a series there soon. What's the state of your ovals?

It would appear to be wasteful using such precious water to keep grass green when there's a human crisis looming over lack of the resource already.

a reply to: Pilgrum
Sorry, have really bad tummy bug at the moment.
But from what I heard yesterday, I think the cricket was cancelled.
www.clubcricket.co.za...

a reply to: halfoldman

Appears to still be on with the 3rd test match at Newlands starting 22nd March.
SA Tour

There's nothing like a cricket match to attract rain from my experience so keep your hopes up

a reply to: halfoldman

Are you able to get out of town, like go on an extended holiday?
I read some time ago the next wars would be fought over water and food, looks like that theory is gaining a little traction.

Prez Putin was supposed to come here!
Also cancelled, I believe too.

a reply to: halfoldman
Today I heard your 'day zero' has now been pushed out to June

Has there been a bit of rain?

a reply to: halfoldman

Just been reading about rain arriving in Western Cape. Is this going to save the day for Cape Town? www.iol.co.za...

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

Yeah, was quite an impressive deluge, with thunder and hail yesterday.
But only a few minutes.

I think what promises to be more helpful was some farmers in outlying areas (who did get more recent rain) who opened their sluices so that water from their private dams flows into our public system.

So, Day Zero being pushed backwards and forwards, with June being the new official deadline at the moment, but hard to know what to believe. No change to current restrictions however.

I must add though that our brief respite from drought yesterday was virtually completely overshadowed by the eventual replacement of Jacob Zuma as SA President by President Cyril Ramaphosa (I saw it all over CNN and the BBC too).
But I must honestly say, I'm so exhausted of hearing of Zuma, corruption, state capture and the Guptas - somebody else can make a whole thread about it.

In African culture a bit of rain is a good omen - let's hope so.
The whole deluge was very strange, not our usual Cape provincial weather pattern for summer (no matter how brief, especially with hail and flash-floods!), and it seemed almost mystical, even Shakespearean.
Maybe the gods have changed their minds?
www.bbc.com...

a reply to: halfoldman

We're having late summer/autumn weather that's slightly unusual too. I guess it's not all that unusual to have volatile weather here any time of year but temperatures of 37C and above then snow in the highlands within a week has happened in the past however it's still noteworthy.

Yes your political disturbances made the news here as well as the weather.

Hope your weather comes good and stabilizes soon

Is there an update on the water situation?

if you guys kill enough white people it'll magically get better