JOHANNESBURG: The South African city of Cape Town has pushed back "Day Zero" — the date when it might have to turn off most taps because of a long drought — by nearly a month to May 11.
Cape Town authorities said Monday that the reprieve is due to an anticipated decline in agricultural use of water because many farms in Western Cape province, which includes the city, have used up water supplies allocated to them.
Municipal officials, however, say city residents must stick to regulations requiring them to use fewer than 50 liters (13.2 gallons) per person daily to avoid the tap closure. They say seasonal rainfall expected to start around May is likely to be low.
Officials had previously projected "Day Zero" to fall on April 16.