A major South African city is about to run out of water, and officials say it will be the worst disaster since 9/11 by Hilary Brueck on Feb 1, 2018, 10:30 AM Advertisement
 Cape Town, a coastal South African city of 4 million people, is about to run out of fresh water. After three years of persistent drought, the government is warning that "Day Zero" — when they will be forced to turn off the faucets — will be April 16, 2018. That's when reservoirs and water sources will hit 13.5% capacity, at which point the city will move most residents to a strict bucket- and jug-based water rationing system. As Cape Town's reservoirs of fresh water get dangerously close to running dry, locals are beginning to store water in jugs and fill up at spring-fed taps set up by local breweries. Those who can afford it are boring mini backyard wells to collect private water stashes, and some hotels are investing in pricey desalination plants to make ocean water drinkable. Take a look at how people are dealing with the looming crisis: SEE ALSO: A major coastal city is running out of water faster than anyone predicted — and people are terrified about 'Day Zero' The drought is the region's worst in over a century.  The Theewaterskloof dam, the city's largest, is just 13% full.
The South African weather service says climate change is making their historical models useless.  Long-term forecasters say it's impossible to predict how long the crisis might last.
Cape Town's population has also been growing rapidly, compounding the effects of the three-year drought.  Data from the UN shows the percentage of South Africans living in cities has been climbing since the 1950s.
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