SOUTH AFRICA
A Frightening Augury
Cape Town implemented new emergency water restrictions on Thursday as the city prepares for the day it runs completely out of water – which could come as soon as April 16.
The city is now asking its 4 million residents to use no more than 50 liters (or about 13 gallons) of water a day, warning that failure to comply will result in fines and the installation of water management meters, CNN reported.
It’s unclear whether the plea (or threat) will be successful. Cape Town is running dry due to a three-year drought that’s the worst it’s seen in a century. But so far only 55% of residents are sticking to their water ration.
Officials are racing to build desalination, aquifer and water-recycling projects to cope with the shortfall. But the city is already adopting tougher tactics, shutting off water supplies to some residents, CNN said.
“We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water. We must force them,” the mayor’s office said in a statement last month.
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