Cape Town may become 1st major city to run out of water

[DanDesade]

So...didn't know this was a thing...

“We have reached a point of no return,” Cape Town mayor, Patricia de Lille, conceded.

She was talking about the city running out of water. An event which is predicted to happen in less than 75 days. Day Zero — the day the taps run dry — is currently forecast to occur on April 12.

Most of the metropolitan area’s nearly 4 million residents will have to collect allotments of water from 200 distribution points — a situation that themayor fears could lead to anarchy.

Strict water restrictions are already in force, limiting the maximum use per person to 50 litres per day.

Currently water levels at dams in the region are sitting just above 17 per cent full. When levels drop to 13.5 per cent, residents will have to queue for daily rations of 25 litres.

Police and the army will be on standby to be deployed to prevent any civil unrest.

According to Waterwise, a typical shower uses between 10 and 15 litres per minute while a single toilet flush can consume almost as much. For Capetonians, these things are fast becoming a luxury.

1 litre of water = 0.264172 US liquid gallon

i.e.

1 us liquid gallon= 3.785 litres

[Pyroponce]

I have what might be described as a “prepper” mindset. But as cool as guns and survival gear are to me, it’s stories like this that emphasize that people need to prepare for the most likely disasters first. Losing your job is more likely than running out of water, and running out of water is more likely than an EMP. Ultimately everyone is responsible for themselves and their family.

[Immerael]

Originally Posted by Pyroponce

I have what might be described as a “prepper” mindset. But as cool as guns and survival gear are to me, it’s stories like this that emphasize that people need to prepare for the most likely disasters first. Losing your job is more likely than running out of water, and running out of water is more likely than an EMP. Ultimately everyone is responsible for themselves and their family.

In the end yeah you're right. Government is nice but when things start to break down you can only rely on yourself even in the wealthiest and most prepared countries like America. Hurricane Katarina should have illustrated that point.

In America it would probably do to go around and if you can afford it have kevlar under your clothes when you are in major cities due to risk of mass shooters. In Europe and Asia where knife attacks are more common you should actually buy a particular set of chainmail, riveted not butted, and make sure its decent quality. It fits under your clothes easily, weight is evenly distrusted and if its properly made no knife made will pierce it.

In rural areas stockpiling at least a week if not more supplies is essential, as you have less of a chance of large group when SHTF of coming in and taking it from you and also the likelihood of things like a bad storm cutting you off from utilities for a while.

I realize this is a bit further off topic then Dan probably thought but I thought it was close enough.

[Lord Emperor Clot]

In this case the "costly' answers like desalination plants have to be re-examined against the cost of civil unrest or the prospect of people fleeing your country. It's a coastal nation, for God's sake.

BTW- wouldn't "desalination plant" be a nice additional improvement to CN?

[DanDesade]

Originally Posted by Lord Emperor Clot

...It's a coastal nation, for God's sake...

apparently

Since 1995, Cape Town's population has grown from 2.4 million residents to an estimated 4.3 million by 2018, representing a 79 percent population increase in 23 years whilst dam water storage only increased by 15 percent in the same period.

Seems rather short sighted