‘Day Zero’ – the day CPT will run out of water unless consumption is curbed further – has been extended from March to May 2018.
The city uses about 582 million litres a day, 82 million litres more than the daily target. This is down from a collective consumption of about 700 million litres a day when the concept of ‘Day Zero’ was introduced.
Business Day reports that Mayor Patricia de Lille said, despite this progress, reducing demand was still the greatest factor in avoiding ‘Day Zero’. "Unless we reduce demand to 500 million litres per day, there is a risk that we will reach ‘Day Zero’ in May 2018. ‘Day Zero’ would be later if it rained, but because we cannot accurately predict how much rain we will receive, we have to ensure that we reduce demand sufficiently.
Facilities possibly impacted
· Swimming pools may be closed
· Steam rooms and saunas may be closed
· Bath plugs may be removed
· Gardens and lawns may not be watered
