Cape Town - Day Zero has been cancelled for 2018 and 2019 provided the 4.5 million Capetonians stick to the restrictions.
Day Zero - the day when most of the taps will be turned off – will not happen anytime soon after massive water savings and recent winter rains that have filled up dams, Deputy mayor Ian Neilson announced on Thursday morning.
Neilson said that provided that adequate water restrictions are maintained, "the City is confident that there will be no prospect of reaching Day Zero in 2019". Water restrictions are currently on Level 6b.
This week recent winter rains had pushed the overall level of the City of Cape Town's supply dams up to 43.7% full on Thursday. This figure is higher than it was for the same period in 2017 or 2016.
#WaterCrisis: @CityofCT Deputy mayor Ian Neilson says there will be no Day Zero in 2018 and 2019 @TheCapeArgus @IOL pic.twitter.com/s0cJ2suvMB
— JasonFelix (@JasonFelix) June 28, 2018
Xanthea Limberg, Mayco member for water, said the city is moving out of immediate water crisis territory, but water restrictions will only be lifted once the city’s dams have reached 85% storage levels.
Last year, then minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said water restrictions would remain in place until the Western Cape dams are 85% full.