Residents queue before sunrise as authorities enforce strict water rationing in a city of four million living on the edge, a resident has revealed.
Local resident Mohammed Allie said: “Many desperate locals, armed with plastic containers, can also be seen collecting water from mountain streams around the city.
“Water has clearly become the new gold of Cape Town, a city famous for its beaches and mountains.”
The city rations 50 litres per day per resident, which covers drinking, washing cooking and even flushing the toilet.
Authorities and residents are desperately trying to stave off “Day Zero”, set for April 12, when the city will become the world’s first to run out of water.
SA Breweries has set up five taps outside of their premises in an effort to help residents stick to their quota by offering a top up.
The brewery is able to offer fresh water to residents from a natural spring located behind its gates.
However, the gesture has been taken advantage of by some seeking to exploit the desperate situation, it has been reported.
Mr Allie said: “Security has had to be tightened and individuals limited to 25litres at a time following accusations that some locals and canny entrepreneurs, who travel great distances, were taking as much as 2,000litres in one go and selling the water to desperate consumers.
“The opening times have been adjusted, from a 24-hour operation to 5am – 11pm operation to eliminate incidents of crime.”
Locals also reportedly trek up mountains with plastic containers to collect water from streams.
Residents who are caught flouting the new rules on water consumption face firm punishment with city authorities installing devices that lock the maximum amount of water at 350litres a day.
Those residents are forced to pay around £265 for the installation of the limiting device.
These plastic devices often breaking pouring valuable water into the street for hours, it has been reported.
Residents have been told to slash their showers to just two minutes each and limit how often they flush the toilet as much as possible.
Mr Allie said: “As for flushing, which in the past would have used around six litres at a time, we have adopted the popular slogan: ‘If it’s yellow let it mellow and if it’s brown flush it down’.”
Social media has been used to share tips, including reusing dirty water from showers to flush toilets, water plants or wash car.