When the rain didn’t come in Cape Town

At first, the idea that Cape Town would soon run out of water felt like a big joke. The ocean was right there; I could smell it from my house. How could we be out of water?

We were. Following a years-long stretch of severe drought, the South African seaside city was fast approaching what government officials were calling “Day Zero,” when municipal taps would run dry. Around June last year, signs cropped up in restaurants, hotels, and offices pleading with us not to flush toilets unless it was completely necessary, and to opt for waterless hand sanitizers instead of washing our hands.

If the water did run out — which looked all but certain — residents would have to queue up at one of 200 water collection points to get our rations.

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