Day Zero: how Cape Town stopped the taps running dry

[@benlawrence309]

Cape Town South Africa doesn't have a large water basin to begin with, it's one of the reasons why the native South Africans never settled in the area in the first place, because droughts where to unpredictable.

[@ms.goodenergy]

Truth

[@drsidiyengar]

Very scientific put

[@lukeshdoesntknow]

Native Khoisan people were actually largely aggregated in the Cape region.

[@Mimeniia]

We were just fine as far as water was concerned. But it is the steady migration of people into the region that is taking its toll viz., from other African countries and the probably the most strange of all, Gautengers, heaven only knows why.

[@pseudonym2839]

Let's not say settle, but I would say the South Africans were situated there.

[@jordanharper617]

I live in South Africa Cape Town Our damns are rising but we are still having water restrictions to be extra careful

[@lancefron1]

Great news is that as of 10/06 CT's dam levels were at 32% total stored capacity, up from 21% a year ago. And we've had good rains in the last week, too.

[@Mimeniia]

50% a day ago but....it'll run out as fast as its filled. We have to however employ what we've learnt about water saving in this time, irrespective, ie Jojo tanks and re-using water etc.

[@marcooosbibendorsht1334]

Now we're up to just under 50%

[@flamingpieherman9822]

Lance Efron wish we in Florida could give you water! We are inundated with it...it has rained so much...our rivers are cresting, yards are soggy to the point you sink down a few inches with each step..like a sponge.

[@dunique26]

Well that's good to hear..

[@lemonwangs]

flamingpie herman I live in south Florida and there are lakes and stuff behind homes but um. I wanna move to Hawaii.

[@isabelmilla3339]

we getting better!!!! Cape Town has had all rainy days this winter!!! some sunny but its getting so much better!

[@oycan_mohamed1259]

11 year old me here bc my geography teacher sent us this link. These poor people😕😟

[@KJH1020]

me too lol

[@fezza6143]

im here 4 humanities lol

[@livkuzma]

Yup, same. Is it still like this?

[@oycan_mohamed1259]

@@livkuzma omg bro I forgot ab this comment 3 whole years ago 😭😭

[@livkuzma]

@@oycan_mohamed1259

[@neoninomofokeng3184]

This story is outdated , there have been some really good rains in recent weeks.

[@thabangkgafela3844]

you are dumb,a few rains mean nothing. Afew rains dont fill dams

[@julianjohnson9077]

Neo Nino Mofokeng The Theewaterskloof dam is 38.5% full this week; Voëlvlei dam is 52% full; Bergriver Dam 83% full; and the Clanwilliam Dam is 98.2% full.

[@dynamicsolution8166]

Neo Nino Mofokeng So can I sttart telling everyone that global cooling is the new trendy thing to talk about???

[@marcooosbibendorsht1334]

John Dalecki No. Just no.

[@marcooosbibendorsht1334]

Julian Johnson Yes, but Theewaterskloof needs to be far higher, as it's the main source of water for Cape Town

[@aldemir6127]

So slowly and surely, slowly but soon we be facing the same

[@artuselias]

Who?

[@oktopussy9628]

Al Demir Depends on where you live. In nothern Europe for example we have an increased danger of floods and storms,but not that much with droughts.

[@aldemir6127]

Janne Winsemann Thanks, what I'm talking about is that world environment, the source of energy and all that

[@photosapientt]

How come I see your comments on top comment sections of every video I watch?

[@cahoutcharles961]

Not in Canada.

[@Mrdachs88]

That police patrol made me a bit uneasy. Why are they punishing the people that use the least amount of water. Go to the rich peoples houses and fine them for petty things.

[@CBrown9758]

Mrdachs8 u know how that goes us first them last if ever.

[@Rapmylife123213]

they can use grey water

[@Mrdachs88]

Can they though? How are you gonna prove that you're using grey water?

[@machielvanmierlo7761]

Ha! No. They both waste water. The main difference is that the rich people get taxed and fined for it. The poor neighborhoods they will just crack open water pipe and have it spill onto the streets when they're not collecting it.

[@user-im1jq3lw2l]

Mrdachs8 it’s true, I live in a quite ‘rich’ suburb and they never come over here to reduce our water. And we haven’t been forced to do what the Porters have. It’s sad really.

[@coleabrahams9331]

I'm from Cape Town. Many people are saying it was a scam and that they told us the dams were so low when they were actually quite high, but you never know

[@Anunkindnessofravans]

I feel so sorry for them

[@aplusprintshop]

my grandma always have said that the trees and plants calls the rain. So each household should plant trees and plants. and rain will come.

[@baralah]

A Plus Print Shop please tell your grandma to say hi to the Care Bear when she sees one.

[@hodamandy]

mouser mouse i thought its a forrest because it rains

[@Kennclarete]

hoda mandy it's both. Forests create rain and rains create forests.

[@Kennclarete]

RZZR sure

[@Kennclarete]

RZZR minute earth has a video about it

[@deanmc]

We've had heavy rain over the last few weeks. The current water levels aggregated for all our dams are at 50%. This happened about 10 years ago.

[@jcextranow]

People continue to move there for the natural beauty but they have to understand the area does not support a continuous water resource. The responsibility is with the residents who live in the metropolitan area as well.

[@moimeself1088]

Did the police close down the car washes in town as well??? That was heartbreaking to watch.

[@mustafacemrea]

I guess they are using modern systems like spreys

[@wadawax]

Honestly It's not that surprising that this is happening, in ireland, a country know for rain, there were water shortages this summer and water restrictions and hose pipe bans were introduced

[@malerightsfeminist2678]

I'm a local resident I must say this video exaggerates our situation. We are doing fine here.

[@lyledeyounges1276]

The police confiscate the water hoses AND throw the remaining water onto the street... what? I wonder if the lack of water will somehow intensify conflict in the region, or if it's mainly a problem in the capital.

[@pseudonym2839]

LyleDeYounges where are you getting this from?

[@marcooosbibendorsht1334]

What are you talking about

[@lyledeyounges1276]

What's going on in South Africa. What's happening to farmers and how... nevermind, Google it.

[@marcooosbibendorsht1334]

LyleDeYounges So don't tell me to just google it

[@lyledeyounges1276]

KZbin it.

[@Maddoxxx]

in a bond movie, there was a villain that made the whole country collapse because of no water..

[@springtimesunshine1787]

why is the video coming out nooow? day zero has been avoided for this year cause luckily it‘s been raining the last few weeks so the basins around cape town are filling up again

[@josephdorian4743]

Blame political differences within South Africa, it's not just climate change.

[@janelin6083]

omg, Prof. Moron - please explain how political differences caused Cape Town's last three years to be their driest ever. Do they control the rain, Professor?

[@AnonymousUser77254]

Jane Lin We had data indicating this would happen. Desalination has been on the table for years but no action was taken.

[@kv998]

I think I understand what your trying to say... Like the under privileged are in more harms way of getting the taps shut off ( well to be honest from other documentaries that I’ve watched the under privileged areas get he taps shut off randomly all the time) while the privileged have more access. However; the end result is the same. Climate change and the lack of resources have made a huge impact on this city and it’s so sad-Cape town is a beautiful city with so much culture.

[@lukeshdoesntknow]

Yes Sybrand like you said we had data to show this was gonna happen, but climate change is the cause in the first place. Politics or lack of politics is not the primary cause for the water crisis. You're confusing the causative factor (climate change) with the exacerbating factor (lack of political action)

[@springbok4015]

Joseph Dorian it’s mostly climate change. Our rainfall drastically fell in volume over the previous years.

[@9oaktree]

At the moment Dam levels are way past 2017 and near to 2016 levels.

[@MediaSock]

We went through this in Melbourne Australia a few years ago, it wasn't as bad as this but it was scary while going through it.

[@livkuzma]

....No...I don't think we did?

[@blancavelasquez9859]

Same happened with Israel now they have enough water to seek to neighboring countries, they just need to innovate instead of being corrupt

[@felixw.8391]

*invade

[@ednorton5213]

Israel offered them help, they didn’t take it due to political BS

[@najma2613]

Didn't isreal juice dry the water in neighboring regions? Either you have water or don't. Innovations are just different ways to relocate water which in turn can harm others?

[@freudba1578]

We lived water scarcity in North Africa, I use to carry with me container of 3 gallon everyday bring water to drink and wash. We take shower onece a week

[@rohitmistry1979]

Thanks!

[@TeamGGgaming]

The problems of overpopulation in an area not really suitable for human life

[@melodramatic7904]

And here I am complaining about how it rained for 6 months where I live. I will never complain again.

[@gidget330]

The drought all come before the rainy season, plus this happens every few decades so don't feel bad.

[@thomasshelby477]

Any from tamilnadu ?

[@JohnDoe-fg9ng]

Has an absurd amount of people living in one area with limited water supply that is now running out and the first thing people do is point to climate change????

[@nayandusoruth2468]

Climate change is making wetter places wetter, and more importantly, drier places drier. The latter is what is affecting cape town. I do not understand your confusion, as climate change is well under way, and we are already feeling it's effects, cape town only really being noticed because it is an important city, but plenty of other places have already felt it's effects, Bangladesh being an example, with heavy flooding being an issue driven by climate change.

[@Jamster_070]

HawkingN It has nothing to do with climate change. Its the uselessness of the municipality. The DA is worse than the ANC.

[@janelin6083]

Gee, "John" maybe the diagnosis has something to do with Cape Town having record low rainfall for three years in a row, with 2017 being the driest year since they started keeping track. Yeah, that couldn't have anything to do with the climate, huh moron?

[@MrSvenovitch]

They overbred (white people too), and you can deny it and call ppl who point it out all kinds of nasty names. Don't worry, nature will take care of it in its gruesome uncaring way. We could have prevented it if we 'd used our brains. But no, let's all be pc and lalalalala deny and don't want to hear it. Nature doesn't negotiate, not even with left liberals

[@shnbwmn]

Sven - Cape Town population is normal, even small size for a major city. There are many places with higher populations in drier regions that have had no difficulty with water. Guess your overbreeding theory doesn't fit. This is all about the management and foresight regarding water infrastructure, coupled with an unforeseen el nino drought worst on record, and middle/upper class people using too much. The poor people who make up a lot of CTs population use the least water and supply has never been a problem except during a terrible drought, like any other place in the world (eg, California). Btw we're getting nice strong rains now, huge downpours that are filling the province dams by a couple percentage points every week. As I type there is rain that's been falling for three days straight. That's how this climate works ("the Cape of Storms"). The City is planning to make use of stormwater run-off which previously ran into the sea. That's not even getting into waste water treatment, desalination, ground water extraction, etc.

[@safiyahmajal1307]

the dams are almost full because it was raining so much

[@maartensmaling]

Does anyone know where I can find any information sources used for this video?

[@uriapark8848]

Thank you for this. I read the articles in Januray, thinking that Cape Town had run out of water as there were no more media reports. I'm glad to hear of this somewhat fortunate turn of events. I hope others will also reduce their impact on climate change by perhaps becoming more open minded to the zero waste movement and reducing their meat intake. Zero waste seeks to reduce our environmental impact by reducing waste sent to landfills and instead focus on using reusable or recyclable products, partly to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from producing single use products. Veganism and vegetarianism also goes in hand with reducing our environmental impact by avoiding meat. Cows and other meat creatures consume more grains and water to feed. As more water is used to feed the cows and produce the grains that cows eat, we run out of available drinking water. Also, cows fart methane, a gas much more potent as a greenhouse gas that carbon dioxide. So I urge you to reduce your meat intake by even just having Meatless Monday. Please, if you can take part in reducing climate change, just do it.

[@wallybelp1]

Reminiscent of Melbourne Australia. We have big water supply problems.

[@ameliomeyer3620]

Update!! Dam levels are now at 50%. Here trusting this will increase with the rest of the Winter rain.

[@fezza6143]

POV: ur here because your teacher made you

[@mansoorzahid6272]

The situation is better now, lot of rain is coming, dam level is reaching up to 50 percent, so need to have any panic

[@mohitoBhau5499]

That's this year. With continued warming conditions the world over, water is the single greatest resource that this earth cannot live without. India is suffering the effects of water crisis desperately.

[@Colors.TF1]

Why they not evacuating and move those people out, because it's for the safety of Cape Town. "State of emergency"

[@gidget330]

Its more complicated. You see those people were actually made to imigrate to cape town, because the western cape was under DA party's control therefore the ANC wanted to send more supporters there to further their own votes. Yet of course they weren't expecting the drought to happen, but they don't want to actually get rid of the people because they still want the votes.

[@tommywilson1075]

That was a genuine drought.

[@mai-qn7cs]

If they predicted there was going to be a water crisis why wouldn't they invest in desalination plants?

[@kevinlocke4515]

Busy appropriating land.

[@PikaPluff]

DUHH literally they have done that have u watched it fully smh.

[@gidget330]

Plus the ANC and the DA wont ever work together to sort out this problem.

[@sentientsushi7701]

Why are people even disliking this video

[@sentientsushi7701]

Aidan Drotzur oh yeah, that makes sense (not sarcastically)

[@kiharajon87]

what is the city doing to address the issue? pipelines from the many SA rivers? boreholes? Capetown residents can't wait to waste water again.

[@gidget330]

I'm not sure a local government is about to spend thousands or evens millions on pipelines and filters. Especially because we're in Africa.

[@mrfurball]

Water does not disappear unless it's deliberately broken down into oxygen and hydrogen at a molecular level with a electrical charge, being humanity is not producing hydrogen at a commercial level water is being displaced, if the ice caps are melting a larger than normal amount of water should be introduced into the water cycle yet water shortages are affecting all continents... Could the cause be water hording at a commercial level as has been reported several times before and the process of fracking that introduces vast amounts of water deep into the Earth's mantle therefore requiring tens of thousands of years for the same water to be filtered out on to the surface?

[@The_Angry_BeEconomist]

it started raining, how did Cape Town start making it rain?

[@gidget330]

Winter

[@livkuzma]

They did the rain dance.

[@whereeveritgoes]

Every one now please start drinking sea/ocean water.. we may die from it but if we practice it long enough, we can put this new survival gene to the next generation of humans.

[@adpontier]

This might be a bit easier: Elemental Water Makers (Delft, The Netherlands) found a sustainable way to desalinated the water.

[@whereeveritgoes]

I was joking.

[@ashwaths]

Awang Budiman LoL.

[@4rfrgr4]

😂😂😂

[@justbreathe8835]

Awang Budiman huhh no

[@ndog37]

The government is particularly to blame here with lack of proper infrastructure planning etc. and they should be looking at new engineering projects such as sea water desalination plants like the Middle East. It’s one thing to blame lack of rain, another thing to lack planning ahead with a 50 year plan.

[@gidget330]

Well to be fair the government we're the ones that sent those immigrant, specifically the ANC, sothat they could secure the votes there.

[@chistinelane]

This isn't the wake up call. This is the "you have 30 minutes to show up to work or you're fired" call

[@andrewschulzsd]

Never happened before 1994...

[@adriaanjansevanvuuren2938]

Ha

[@DanielLuzster]

The reason Capetonians got it right is because we knew the national government couldn't care less if we ran out of water.

[@ErnestJay88]

Water is plenty in Cape Town, but it was a salt water.

[@highonsmog]

Dont blame swimming pools and the rich. In California, even poor neighborhoods have lawns vs concrete or desert plants, that is like 50 gallons per day. Zoning laws mandated a certain amount of green space, instead of concrete. Those plants need water. Stores sell low quality 0.5 and 1gpm showerheads, not improving the quality of low gpm showers, to encourage lower consumption. If you use a 2.5 gpm vs 1.0 gpm, a family of 4 wastes 60 gallons per day. Further, we send rain water down canals into oceans, instead off towards large lakes like the Salton sea. Policywise, we throw away water, and then blame everyone for taking too many showers, and raise water rates as a penalty.

[@SariI064]

This will be the norm for many more cities if we don't start serious action on climate change...

[@SariI064]

Grey Chip tackling climate change is about reducing overpopulation as well...about communism, depends on how you understand it. There is definitely a place for communitarianism; increasing a sense of belonging for people within communities so no one feels isolated, and then tackling climate change together! More love and care is what we need :)

[@moonshadow7057]

No forget the IF WE thing, it’s already no turning back

[@desp8161]

Most cities are in rainy areas

[@dynamicsolution8166]

Yeah if we all work together I think we can have a real impact on the 100 year cycle the sun is in!

[@squeakydeedsdonesoapclean3719]

DragneaLiviu Or worry about climate change instead of the irrational fear you have of people running for their lives.

[@killernat1234]

50 litres per day, wtf

[@thorondor4012]

You're literally celebrating austerity measures.

[@dainironfoot5198]

It's better than people just flat out dying from under-hydration.

[@safiyahmajal1307]

the water restrictions are over i live in south Africa

[@kevinlocke4515]

Nice to see you learned your lesson.

[@kingofrivia1248]

Desalination will solve this problem eventually but for that we also need renewable energy and more plants - which mean A LOT OF MONEY

[@cmvlogs2020]

Warning for all

[@pyroromancer]

reverse affirmative action failing to fill needed engineering positions at the water companies

[@panama-canada]

50 litres a day rationing? That's insane. I'm paying for utilities, why would you ration me the paying customer? Water is everywhere 300 metres below ground in the bedrock.

[@binozia-old-2031]

their is no bore water in cape town anymore

[@Ty-ww1lv]

I don’t get it how so when it’s located in next to the ocean

[@benjaminlarson146]

u cant drink ocean water

[@Trogzzzz]

In Karachi, Pakistan, a large city, they only have water taps available once a week, at best

[@closmasmas9080]

That’s an extreme version of what it is like to live with a water tank

[@ciangargan]

They should build a factory to turn sea water into fresh water if it's that bad. Then raise taxes on the water when it's done to pay for it.

[@crashweaverda]

Water the next oil

[@troyhie5047]

crashweaverda that’s true

[@simple22travel11]

Ever heard of building a desalination facility?

[@kylemeyer3703]

Bris Vegas if you actually paid attention to the video u would realize that they said South Africa is investing is desalination plants downie

[@paulbyron1359]

Rome and Lisbon have both run out of water. Cape Town is not the first.

[@gidget330]

Actually the dam is alot better and currently there is no more crisis.

[@markviereck4547]

To fine a person that has no money is a joke. They do it in the US too

[@titotarantula9294]

Build a water reclamation plant that uses "REVERSE OSMOSIS" 2 produce clean water ASAP!!!!

[@mattbeamer6918]

Reverse osmosis uses 2 liers to produce 1 liter of water. Not the most efficient way to do it.

[@markblix6880]

Again, lower population growth will lessen the crisis.

[@julianjohnson9077]

Cape Town - Dams feeding Cape Town are currently 53% full - 28 percentage points higher than last year, when the drought was at its worst.

[@theeraphatsunthornwit6266]

Climate is always changing since before the birth of the first human. This is just too many people the area can support

[@gidget330]

This is not the cause of Climate change, but instead the cause of government control.

[@rocky3652]

It’s been proven there is just as much water on the planet since the beginning of time it keeps rating everyday all over the world

[@Deontjie]

Only partly true. The earth lose about ten tonnes of hydrogen to space every year. Same with helium. But that lost could never again bond with oxygen to form water.

[@mynhardtsaayman1]

Bs cape town did not stop day zero.....its called rain wonderful rain that filled our dams.

[@Churros1616]

What I don't understand, can they not get water from Johannesburg? or from the green areas in South AFrica?

[@PHlophe]

i almost wanted to explain but you are so clueless it is crazy

[@playboicartiismydad4842]

C Will You realise how big south africa is right? To transport huge amounts of water across the country would be insanely expensive

[@Deontjie]

The previous government did invest building a canal from the summer rainfall Gariep river to the Western Cape. Using the R355 road and existing rivers meant it will not be that costly. The total distance was something like 700 kilometers. The previous government already built something similar between the Gariep river and the Sondags river valley, close to Port Elisabeth. But the new government fired all the white engineers, stole all the money to pay for Jakob Zuma's new home and the Gupta family. So do not expect anything ground braking in South Africa again. But to answer L Six statement, yes, South Africa is big, but these canals are definitely do-able. Only if we can get the Italians, Germans, Chinese, or Boere to do it. They all got years of experience in canals.

[@alexcarney4811]

The British built the Suez canal in 1869 - "surely the south African regime can handle it in 2018"

[@playboicartiismydad4842]

+Alex Carney That has nothing to do with this wtf

[@willchurch3743]

karachi, a city of 20 million, is out of water and no one is talking about it...

[@glenndejong6817]

San Paulo ! Ran dry too .

[@torinjones3221]

Meh 100 years ago everyone everywhere was collecting water from pumps. My village still has two pumps that work and there's only around 150 - 200 people in it

[@thebestoflondon]

i think the government don't want to invest in a decent water plant. they can get water from the sea, they can dig or recreate a dam.

[@gidget330]

Remember, the western cape is the only province under DA rule, unlike the rest of the country which is under ANC rule, therefore the western cape kind of acts like its own government.

[@thebuddha4208]

I grew up on water I must use 60 gallons a day because of my OCD washing if I was on able to wash when I needed to I would rather die than do not wash

[@wouterdevries04]

Nice

[@thebuddha4208]

Wouter de Vries I don’t know what it would be like to have no water I grew up next to a great lake literally unlimited water I feel so sorry for those people I believe everyone deserves a shower and clean water I wish I could give those people swimming pools and fill them up

[@wouterdevries04]

Nicholas Pilto Nice

[@petroldevo9934]

Funny irony, he has a pool but cant use it... not enough water....

[@gabrielnewman2133]

This happened yesterday

[@mary._.yamborghini]

who is asking to have their car washed in a drought? the water police should be punishing them. sucks for the actual car washers tho

[@brookeeberhard889]

can they do what some part of America are doing taking sewage water and using filters to take all the nasty stuff out or does the government not have enough funds for that?

[@gidget330]

No, the western cape government is the only provincial government under DA rule. therefore they act almost like their own state. And the national government is under ANC rule. And those guys do not like each other.

[@Kni0002]

why stop car washes if they only use 4% of the total water supply.

[@McBukanyr]

i dont understand. if they have so little water, why would they ever waste it on washing their cars? what is the purpose of having a clean car when u dont have enough water to drink? why dont they just keep their cars dirty?

[@sidradzz]

Population. Root cause of all evil.

[@snowblue2362]

Save water and forests...humans ll be saved automatically

[@charleskuhn382]

Thats your avocado at work

[@sammywantsmoore]

We are experiencing floods!! Why don't we transport water in tankers to Africa?

[@mbk2141]

I live in cape town

[@tree8779]

MBK what is the situation like?

[@stevejobs6996]

How is it at the moment ...

[@mr.rogers7007]

Hes dead now

[@razakza]

I has rained significantly and dams have been filling up, but in the last week it is dry again. In order to maintain the current increased dam levels, it needs to keep raining. "Day Zero" has been officially cancelled for this year.

[@gidget330]

Have you been to Caledon?

[@invisibleman7823]

Even the police took action on the poor one not a rich one

[@AGirlNamedVan]

After june july 2018 rain.... day zero has been set. Back by 973729596 days

[@alexander.995]

That guy in the beginning low key looks like a younger elon musk.

[@deepgee9214]

They can fix this problem sooner than what they are saying only if politician care about their people.

[@gidget330]

Then we are doomed.

[@liamjamesduplessis8989]

Now Capetown has bad floods

[@curtisknutson3920]

WTII otcmkts, makes water out of the AIR, imagine pure drinking water, think of all the possibilities, watering crops, filling reservoirs, filling water tanks, living off Grid, Your own personal water supply when things get bad, different sizes available to own

[@ayomi3073]

Does anyone know the name of the songs?

[@tsfcancerman]

Why not just shut off water at problem areas

[@keithsnider4402]

Desalinization plants?

[@hellohun7331]

Plenty of water everywhere. To many people and no political will to move water around the country.

[@kevinlocke4515]

Hurry up.