Day Zero for Cape Town pushed back a few days

DA leader Mmusi Maimane announced on Tuesday that Day Zero for the drought-stricken City of Cape Town has been pushed back to April 16.

The original date was April 12 when dam levels are expected to be at 13.5%. Dam levels currently stand at 26.3%.

Maimane‚ at a media conference‚ thanked Capetonians for saving water over the past week which meant that Day Zero could be pushed back by four days.

"We have managed to push back Day Zero by cutting consumption to an average of 580 million litres a day for the past week to 540 million litres a day for the past few days‚" he said.

"Pushing back Day Zero by 4 days may not seem like a lot. But actually it is a significant victory. It shows that residents are coming together and cutting water consumption."

Cape Town MMC JP Smith warned over the weekend that residents stockpiling water meant Day Zero would occur sooner.

“It is not necessary to stockpile water‚ water will be readily available. At this stage‚ every bit of stockpiling brings us closer to a Day Zero scenario. Residents who are stockpiling are inadvertently driving a Day Zero outcome. If we are frugal you will be able to collect water from your taps throughout this year and next year‚” Smith said.