Illustrated comparison inspired by the place and case. Conceptual scenes, not a photographic before and after.
How the change works
- 01 / Public decision
Maintenance and drought plan
- 02 / Physical change
Less losses and managed demand
- 03 / Possible outcome
More resilience of the water service
Maintenance, pressure management, savings and any new sources increase the capacity to deal with a drought.
Research and local documents ↓What the evidence tells us
The water strategy approved in 2019 stems from the experience of the 2015—2018 crisis and combines demand management, reuse, groundwater and desalination.
Conditions and limits
Day Zero was avoided: it should not be illustrated as a total interruption that actually occurred. Every new source has energy, environmental and distribution costs.
Other possible benefits
Continuity of essential services during crises.
Research and local documents
- Local document and reported findingCity of Cape Town · Water Strategy, 2019 ↗
The water strategy approved in 2019 stems from the experience of the 2015—2018 crisis and combines demand management, reuse, groundwater and desalination.
- Scientific basis of the mechanismBooysen et al. · Water Research, 2019 ↗
Temporal study of domestic responses to the Cape Town crisis using smart meters; it does not isolate every intervention of the strategy.
