Global Water Crisis: What Happened to Cape Town’s Day Zero?

A few years ago in 2018, there were a lot of news articles about Cape Town potentially becoming the first city in the world to run out of water. They called it ‘Day Zero’. It sounded terrible, with images of people lined up in queues with water cans in hand to get their ration of water. People also issued warnings that Bengaluru might become the second city in the world to run out of water!

The whole situation sounded scary for the layman, but there was little that we could do about it, except maybe become more conscious of our own water consumption, and hope that we never face a similar situation.

How was the Day Zero Crisis Averted?

In 2020, Netflix released a video explaining the World’s Water Crisis and mentioned Cape Town’s Day Zero situation. The video explained how the combined efforts of the local government and the residents of the city helped the municipality to conserve enough water in the 90 days that led up to put off Day Zero by one month (at first). Later, upon seeing improvements in the water levels, this Day Zero was put on hold indefinitely. Apart from the efforts put in by the community, mother nature also contributed by providing rain in that year 2018.

The rate at which we are consuming water in Bengaluru is not sustainable. We are pumping out a lot of groundwater for use in agriculture and industries. This groundwater once pumped out takes a very long time to get recharged and it is called by some as a non-renewable resource.

Steps to Prevent the Water Cris From Happening in Bangalore

Micronova Smart Water Management Solutions to the Rescue

We at Micronova are also trying to find ways to help industries reduce their water footprint. Our team has come up with a Smart Water Management solution that helps facilities monitor and manage their water use with the help of technology that digitizes water information. This solution has helped many companies optimize and reduce their water consumption, leading to significant savings in water costs and other related expenses. Please contact us if you are interested to learn more about this offering.

We want to do our best to lead sustainable lives, as individuals and as members of a company and society. No one wants to face an emergency situation like the one faced by Cape Town in 2018, and by making small changes to our personal and professional lives, we might prevent such situations from emerging in our localities and communities.