Newsletter Newsletters Events Events Podcasts Videos Africanews
Loader
Advertisement

Cape Town faces end to home-piped water in April as drought crisis deepens

Cape Town faces end to home-piped water in April as drought crisis deepens
Copyright 
By Robert Hackwill
Published on
Share this article Comments
Share this article Close Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Copy to clipboard Copied

Critics warn standpipes being erected around city may not be able to cope with demand.

ADVERTISEMENT

With bone-dry rivers and in the grip of the worst drought in a century rationing may have come to late to save the South African city of Cape Town, which may run out of water by April 12.

The worst of the country-wide drought induced by el Niño ended with the summer rains, but the Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, and forecasts give no guarantees the rains will be on time.

Currently at 87 litres per person per day, designated standpipes are springing up on street corners, and consumption will be cut to 50 litres on February 1, and what the authorities are calling Day Zero in April will see all other piped water cease.

There are already fears installed standpipes will not be able to cope.

Go to accessibility shortcuts
Share this article Comments

Read more

Iran's Pezeshkian criticises Netanyahu's pledge to help in water crisis

Lowest winter rainfall in Syria for almost 70 years triggers water crisis in Damascus

Drought-hit Morocco urges people not to buy sheep for Eid al-Adha celebrations