Here's why Cape Town could run out of water

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Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Here's why Cape Town could run out of water
AccuWeather explains the water crisis in one of South Africa's largest cities.

One of South Africa's largest cities could run out of water. Officials in Cape Town say they are months away from "Day Zero," a day when the city may have to turn off most water taps.

The city has suffered a drought for years, depleting its reservoirs and creating a water crisis. Day Zero had recently been pushed back to June. On Tuesday the Associated Press reported that it was pushed back again to July.

At the moment, residents are allowed 13.2 gallons per day, AccuWeather reports. To put that number in perspective, the average American uses about 17 gallons to take a shower, and the average American family uses about 300 gallons per day inside the home, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Should Day Zero come, the city's residents will have to go to collection points to gather their daily water allotment, which will be about 6.6 gallons.

Watch the AccuWeather video above for more background about the crisis.