The South African city plans to shut off its water on April 12, unless dam water levels go up.
Nearly 4 million people in Cape Town, South Africa, are facing a dangerous reality: Unless their water use severely drops, they will soon run out.
The city has announced plans to turn off water to all of its businesses and residential addresses on April 12, a date also known as “Day Zero,” unless its residents are able to conserve enough water.
The city fully expects to impose the emergency water cutoff, which would be the first by a major city in the developed world, NPR reported.
“Day Zero” was originally set for April 22, but officials moved up the estimated date on Monday after finding that dam water levels in the region have continued to fall, despite residents’ conservation efforts.