'Sorry, we can't serve water here.'

‘Hi, what can I get you?’ ‘Hi, can I please have an Americano with hot milk? Oh, and a glass of tap water with lemon and ice?’ ‘Sorry mam, unfortunately we are not allowed to serve tap water. May I offer you a bottle of still or sparkling?’

We all said this day wouldn’t arrive. It was the typical mindset of: we live in the 21st Century, of course we won’t run out of water! They are just trying to intimidate us. Well, here we are, three years on from a drought that officially began in 2015, and months away from a day that evokes the feeling of impending doom: Day Zero.

The Western Cape has had significantly less rainfall in the winter months over the last three years. This, coupled with a growing demand for water due to an ever-increasing population, has left us in a state of crisis. However, the possibility of the City surpassing its water supply was brought to attention as early as 1990. Herein lies our problem – we live in a primarily reactive environment.

Armed with the intelligence of an inevitable water crisis, the City of Cape Town lacked a sense of urgency. While the general population took the convenience and affordability of piped water for granted, the government simultaneously proposed inadequate water supply projects, delayed contract negotiations with water desalination companies and was more preoccupied with high levels of bureaucracy. Hence, we found ourselves 90 days away from empty taps, bathing in buckets and the potential closure of schools and business. Had the predictions of the city exceeding its water supplies (made by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in 2009) been taken seriously, it is highly likely that we would be in an entirely different position.

According to Mayor, Patricia De Lille, the majority of Capetonians have mostly ignored the water restrictions. While those who are trying desperately to save every drop may be infuriated to hear this, it is also easy to see where this blasé attitude stems from. Unfortunately political agendas have not been aligned with promoting positive individual and collective social responsibility, which has infused an attitude of ‘I need to look after my self’. But this is a toxic approach.

WWF stated that “on Day Zero, the city will move into full-scale Emergency Stage 3. This means that water to households and businesses will be cut off. There will not be enough water in the system to maintain normal services and the taps will run dry.” This is a terrifying reality; however, it is important to recognise that it has also been the reality of the majority of residents living in informal settlements for years. Perhaps this shared experience of the current water crisis can encourage communities to work together to bring about positive change for the future. Maybe this opportunity – presented as a challenge – could provoke a mental shift away from a lifestyle of overindulgence and self-interest, towards a conscious attitude of conservation and accountability.

Imagine if 4 million Capetonians started to act in accordance with our city’s slogan: “Making progress possible. Together.” Oh the things we could accomplish.