By Julia Guerrein, Editor-in-Chief

Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, is running dangerously low on water. After a three-year drought, the worst drought in over a century, the city is at risk of becoming one of a few major cities to lose piped water to homes and most businesses, according to the New York Times. Vital institutions, like hospitals and schools, will still get water.

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The 3.7 million residents of Cape Town have been put under a water limit, 13.2 gallons per day for individuals, reported USA Today. Those that exceed the daily limit will be charged a hefty fine and may have water-monitoring devices placed on their property. According to the New York Times, the daily limit will be reduced to 6.6 gallons if water levels continue to drop as expected. Comparatively, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that the average American uses 88 gallons of water per day. The reservoirs supplying the metro area have less than 90 days worth of water and if the reservoirs drop below 13.5 percent, the city must turn off the taps. Originally it was estimated that water would run out in April or May, but that has been pushed back to June as of Tuesday.

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“We have reached the point of no return. Despite our urging for months, 60 percent of residents are callously using more than the 23 gallons per day,” said Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille in a Jan. 18 news conference, according to USA Today. “It is quite unbelievable that the majority of people do not seem to care and are sending all of us headlong toward Day Zero. At this point we must assume that they will not change their behavior.” de Lille also stated that residents must be forced to save water because individuals are not taking it upon themselves to do so.

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Some countries are suggesting residents move closer to freshwater supplies, rather than moving water to people. According to the Washington Post, a Chinese official wrote an editorial in 2007 suggesting the capital be moved from Beijing to a city in the wetter south. This idea has been widely debated since the article was published.

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The water crisis facing Cape Town is a glimpse of what is predicted to become as climate change worsens. The problems in Africa, a continent particularly at risk to the effects of climate change, serves as a warning to other governments. Cities in other parts of the world have had similar issues, such as Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2015. Like Cape Town, Sao Paulo had a long period of drought, but drastic water restrictions and short-term technical fixes were enough to avoid a water catastrophe in Brazil’s largest city. Los Angeles and Beijing have also faced water shortages. An increase in population, particularly urban populations, combined with climate change is expected to increase the strain on water resources.

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Cape Town has an extreme wealth disparity, and the water dispute is bringing out the tension between classes and displaying one of the world’s highest rates of inequality. The city is a popular tourist destination for wealthy Europeans and home for high-income individuals. Some reports point towards the poor being unfairly blamed for the lack of water.

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“It has been in the areas where people have gardens, they have swimming pools and they are much more profligate in the way that they use water, because they’re used to the water just being, coming out of the taps,” said Kirsty Carden, who is the Future Water Institute at the University of Cape Town, according to USA Today. She commented that some residents seem to be changing their ways, but “there have been problems in the more affluent areas where people are just, ‘We’ll pay for it.’”

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Cape Town has been described as one of the world’s top “green cities” and the government was proud of its achievements in sustainability and emphasis on the environment. Part of this was attributed to the city’s success in conserving water. The population had increased by 30 percent, but water consumption had remained steady, according to the New York Times. Since the city had done such an astounding job conserving water, officials failed to look for new sources, even after years of being warned that water resources needed to be diversified. In 2007, South Africa’s Department of Water Affairs urged the city to consider increasing its supply of groundwater, desalination and other sources.

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“Nature isn’t particularly willing to compromise,” said Mike Muller, who served as the department’s director from 1997 to 2005, reported the New York Times. “There will be severe droughts. And if you haven’t prepared for it, you’ll get hammered.” Current officials commented that the city planned to secure new water supplies, but they were not expected to be needed so soon.

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The residents of Cape Town of all socio-economic standings are being forced to manage their water before it runs out. The question now is what will happen if or when the city’s water runs out. Government officials are looking to create solutions that make water accessible and prevent anarchy.