The 11 Cities Most Likely To Run Out Of Drinking Water

As of Sunday afternoon, the dreaded "day zero" - the day residents of the city of Cape Town, South Africa, will need to begin queuing for drinking water after supplies sink below the threshold of sustainability - was estimated to be Nov. 11, 2018.

The shortage is the result of South Africa's worst drought in 100 years...

Capetown

And with city government efforts to secure alternative water supplies progressing slowly, Cape Town (pop. 440,000) is on track to become the first major world city to run out of water.

CapeTown

Hiring security forces to guard water supplies and forcing residents to ration their use must be unimaginably frustrating for the city's government. But during a press conference late last month, Patricia de Lille, Cape Town's mayor, expressed another secondary annoyance that, in some ways, is even more profoundly disturbing.

Capetown

A disaster that was until recently only imaginable by writers of dystopian science fiction is playing out in front of our eyes: And what's worse: Nobody seems to care.

"We have reached the point of no return," Patricia de Lille, Cape Town’s mayor, warned this month. With anger in her voice she added: "It is quite unbelievable that a majority of people do not seem to care."

But they should - if only because they're city might be next:

Drought

As the BBC notes, over one billion people lack access to water and another 2.7 billion find it scarce for at least one month of the year. A 2014 survey of the world's 500 largest cities estimates that one in four are in a situation of "water stress".

Here's a list of 11 other major cities where the taps may soon run dry, courtesy of the BBC.

Sao Paulo

Brazil's financial capital and one of the 10 most populated cities in the world went through a similar ordeal to Cape Town in 2015, when the main reservoir fell below 4% capacity.

At the height of the crisis, the city of over 21.7 million inhabitants had less than 20 days of water supply and police had to escort water trucks to stop looting.

It is thought a drought that affected south-eastern Brazil between 2014 and 2017 was to blame, but a UN mission to São Paulo was critical of the state authorities "lack of proper planning and investments".

The water crisis was deemed "finished" in 2016, but in January 2017 the main reserves were 15% below expected for the period - putting the city's future water supply once again in doubt.

Bangalore

Local officials in the southern Indian city have been bamboozled by the growth of new property developments following Bangalore's rise as a technological hub and are struggling to manage the city's water and sewage systems.

To make matters worse, the city's antiquated plumbing needs an urgent upheaval; a report by the national government found that the city loses over half of its drinking water to waste.

Like China, India struggles with water pollution and Bangalore is no different: an in-depth inventory of the city's lakes found that 85% had water that could only be used for irrigation and industrial cooling.

Not a single lake had suitable water for drinking or bathing.

Beijing

The World Bank classifies water scarcity as when people in a determined location receive less than 1,000 cubic metres of fresh water per person.

In 2014, each of the more than 20 million inhabitants of Beijing had only 145 cubic metres.

China is home to almost 20% of the world's population but has only 7% of the world's fresh water.

A Columbia University study estimates that the country's reserves declined 13% between 2000 and 2009.

And there's also a pollution problem. Official figures from 2015 showed that 40% of Beijing's surface water was polluted to the point of not being useful even for agriculture or industrial use.

The Chinese authorities have tried to address the problem by creating massive water diversion projects. They have also introduced educational programmes, as well as price hikes for heavy business users.

Cairo

Once crucial to the establishment of one of the world's greatest civilisations, the River Nile is struggling in modern times.

It is the source of 97% of Egypt's water but also the destination of increasing amounts of untreated agricultural, and residential waste.

World Health Organization figures show that Egypt ranks high among lower middle-income countries in terms of the number of deaths related to water pollution.

The UN estimates critical shortages in the country by 2025.

Jakarta

Like many coastal cities, the Indonesian capital faces the threat of rising sea levels.

But in Jakarta the problem has been made worse by direct human action. Because less than half of the city's 10 million residents have access to piped water, illegal digging of wells is rife. This practice is draining the underground aquifers, almost literally deflating them.

As a consequence, about 40% of Jakarta now lies below sea level, according to World Bank estimates.

To make things worse, aquifers are not being replenished despite heavy rain because the prevalence of concrete and asphalt means that open fields cannot absorb rainfall.

Moscow

One-quarter of the world's fresh water reserves are in Russia, but the country is plagued by pollution problems caused by the industrial legacy of the Soviet era.

That is specifically worrying for Moscow, where the water supply is 70% dependent on surface water.

Official regulatory bodies admit that 35% to 60% of total drinking water reserves in Russia do not meet sanitary standards.

Istanbul

According to official Turkish government figures, the country is technically in a situation of a water stress, since the per capita supply fell below 1,700 cubic metres in 2016.

Local experts have warned that the situation could worsen to water scarcity by 2030.

In recent years, heavily populated areas like Istanbul (14 million inhabitants) have begun to experience shortages in the drier months.

The city's reservoir levels declined to less than 30 percent of capacity at the beginning of 2014.

Mexico City

Water shortages are nothing new for many of the 21 million inhabitants of the Mexican capital.

One in five get just a few hours from their taps a week and another 20% have running water for just part of the day.

The city imports as much as 40% of its water from distant sources but has no large-scale operation for recycling wastewater. Water losses because of problems in the pipe network are also estimated at 40%.

London

Of all the cities in the world, London is not the first that springs to mind when one thinks of water shortages.

The reality is very different. With an average annual rainfall of about 600mm (less than the Paris average and only about half that of New York), London draws 80% of its water from rivers (the Thames and Lea).

According to the Greater London Authority, the city is pushing close to capacity and is likely to have supply problems by 2025 and "serious shortages" by 2040.

It looks likely that hosepipe bans could become more common in the future.

Tokyo

The Japanese capital enjoys precipitation levels similar to that of Seattle on the US west coast, which has a reputation for rain. Rainfall, however, is concentrated during just four months of the year.

That water needs to be collected, as a drier-than-expected rainy season could lead to a drought. At least 750 private and public buildings in Tokyo have rainwater collection and utilisation systems.

Home to more than 30 million people, Tokyo has a water system that depends 70% on surface water (rivers, lakes, and melted snow).

Recent investment in the pipeline infrastructure aims also to reduce waste by leakage to only 3% in the near future.

Miami

The US state of Florida is among the five US states most hit by rain every year. However, there is a crisis brewing in its most famous city, Miami.

An early 20th Century project to drain nearby swamps had an unforeseen result; water from the Atlantic Ocean contaminated the Biscayne Aquifer, the city's main source of fresh water.

Although the problem was detected in the 1930s, seawater still leaks in, especially because the American city has experienced faster rates of sea level rise, with water breaching underground defence barriers installed in recent decades.

Neighbouring cities are already struggling. Hallandale Beach, which is just a few miles north of Miami, had to close six of its eight wells due to saltwater intrusion.

* * *

Once Day Zero arrives, Cape Town residents will be forced to assemble at daily collection points to acquire their daily ration of 25 liters of water. And as they gaze out over the beautiful blue waters of the South Atlantic, some of them will probably wonder: How did we ever let things get this bad?

 

Comments

Slack Jack Unreconstructe… Mon, 02/12/2018 - 04:45 Permalink

Record-Setting Hurricanes; Record temperatures; Record-Setting Wildfires; ya think it might be global warming?

THE EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING IS OVERWHELMING.

So, why is the global rise in temperatures so worrisome?

For one thing, as temperatures rise good farmland will become desert (e.g., dust-bowl conditions will probably return to the American Midwest).

Another major problem is sea-level rise.

Have a look at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs2-00/

or a copy of that page at http://www.preearth.net/pdfs/USGS-sea-level-and-climate.pdf

The U.S. Geological Survey people claim that;

The Greenland ice sheet melting will raise sea-level 6.55 meters (21.5 feet),
the West Antarctica ice sheet melting will raise sea-level 8.06 meters (26.4 feet),
the East Antarctica ice sheet melting will raise sea-level 64.8 meters (212.6 feet),
and all other ice melting will raise sea-level 0.91 meters (3 feet).

For a grand total of about 80 meters (263 feet).

So, what does an 80 meter (263 feet) rise in sea-level mean. Have a look at the following map of the world after an 80 meter rise. It means that over one billion people will have to be resettled to higher ground and that much of the most productive agricultural land will be under water. Fortunately, at current rates, the Greenland ice sheet will take over a thousand years to melt and the Antarctica ice sheet, much longer. However, the greater the temperature rise the faster the ice sheets will melt, bringing the problem much closer. Remember, the huge ice sheet that recently covered much of North America, almost completely melted in only 15,000 years (today, only the Greenland ice sheet, and some other small patches of it, remain). Since then (15,000 years ago), sea-levels have risen about 125 meters (410 feet), only 80 meters to go.

The ice sheets have been continuously melting for thousands of years. What is left of them today, is still melting, and will continue to melt. Human caused global warning will cause this remnant to melt significantly faster. This is a big, big, problem.

For HUGE detailed maps of the "World after the Melt" go to:

http://preearth.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23

Global temperatures are increasing. And by quite a lot each year.

2016 is the hottest year on record for global temperatures.

This is 0.0380 degrees centigrade hotter than the previous record year which was 2015.

0.0380 is a large increase in just one year.

2015 was the hottest year (at that time) for global temperatures.

This was 0.1601 degrees hotter than the previous record year which was 2014.

0.1601 is an absolutely huge increase in just one year (at this rate temperatures would increase by 16 degrees in a century).

2014 was the hottest year (at that time) for global temperatures.

This was 0.0402 degrees hotter than the previous record year which was 2010.

http://preearth.net/images/temp-anomalies-1880-2017.txt

The conspiracy to hide global warming data.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is given tax money to make global temperature records available to the public. However, certain people at NOAA continually sabotage this aspect of NOAA's mandate. For example, these people have (deliberately) sabotaged the web-page that delivers the temperature records.

Look for yourself:

Go to the page: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/anomalies.php scroll down to the The Global Anomalies and Index Data section and click the download button and see what happens. Well, you get the message:

"Not Found. The requested URL /monitoring-references/faq/anomalies-download was not found on this server."

I guess that the 2017 data must be truly horrible if they have to hide it away.

http://preearth.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23

In reply to by Unreconstructe…

Slack Jack Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 05:10 Permalink

Isn't there a Category 4 hurricane/cyclone wandering the Pacific Ocean as we speak?

"Tonga has declared a state of emergency as it prepares to be battered by a category 4-strength Tropical Cyclone Gita."

"Tropical Cyclone Gita is expected to head west for several days, hitting Tonga overnight and strengthening to a category 5 storm."

In reply to by Slack Jack

giovanni_f Nemontel Mon, 02/12/2018 - 06:47 Permalink

Munich, Germany: 3 redunant sources and a pipe and sewer system that was built 150 years ago when Bavaria was still a Monarchy, still works after the population has multiplied more than 20-fold

Forecast:

Sao Paulo: Fucked up beyond all repair.

Bangalore: Probably fucked up beyond all repair.

Beijing: They will eventually work it out.

Cairo: Fucked up beyond all repair.

Jakarta: They might eventually work it out.

Moscow: They will eventually work it out.

Istanbul: Fucked up as  long as ruled by goat fuckers, i.e. beyond all repair

Mexico City: Fucking up is government policy.

London: Fucked up in the context of the western decline

Tokyo: Fucked up but people are used to pay for household detox appliances. Will be fine once the Shogun takes matters in his hands

Miami: See  Mexico City

 

In reply to by Nemontel

Mustafa Kemal giovanni_f Mon, 02/12/2018 - 09:23 Permalink

Istanbul, I find this a little hard to believe. Out east near Artvin they are building huge, and I mean really HYUuuge  hydroelectric damns. The town of Yusufeli, a kayaking resort area, is expecting to be 800 feet under water within a couple of years.  Anyway, if you knew any Turks, you would surely know they arent goat fuckers. 

In reply to by giovanni_f

Dickweed Wang Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 10:54 Permalink

Hey slacker, here's a news flash for you. The Earth's climate is constantly changing and man's impact on it is negligible at best. Ever wonder why the vaunted IPCC "studies" on climate change SPECIFICALLY left out any impact on the Earth's climate other than those related to man's activities???  Follow the money and you'll get your answer.  Money is the key word there . . .

In reply to by Slack Jack

Tarzan DownWithYogaPants Mon, 02/12/2018 - 06:38 Permalink

exactly, it's about monetizing everything. 

Growing up, water was always free.  There were drinking fountains everywhere and no such thing as buying bottled water.  That was before we were all convinced non bottled water was deadly and rare.

The sea levels are rising, but water is rare?  Is technology going backward?

People will believe anything these days. Go get your family life straws, and leave the fear porn for the unprepared sheepel.

In reply to by DownWithYogaPants

1 Alabama HockeyFool Mon, 02/12/2018 - 07:44 Permalink

Yes the termanology is different but the result the same, the atm is growing chicken little, not falling. And the storms are getting bigger, causing more damage, over an increasingly larger area, using scarcer resources in a desperate attempt to maintain the more than should have been chewed, economy. The efficiency factor has reached debt levels, we can no longer afford the ship a Capaton, time to walk to utopia and be done w/it.

In reply to by HockeyFool

Terminaldude HockeyFool Mon, 02/12/2018 - 08:46 Permalink

HAARP and cloud seeding through sprays being but into the atmosphere are what is effecting the Climate.  Climate changes, all the time but the Eco-religion is based on "IGNORANT" and easily manipulated people. 

CO2 is food for plants which make Oxygen.  That's a good thing.  They call it Carbon (as in tax's) because it sounds dirty, like soot, and that's BAD BAD BAD and should be fought against.  Again, its a game to steal tax dollars from the west under the guise of HELPING THE PLANET. 

Its all BS.  My father talks about how dry it was in the 50's, when they could bale all the ponds and slews but it hasn't been that dry in my area of the world for years. 

Stop the HAARP and Cloud Seeding with Aluminum and Nature will take care of itself.

In reply to by HockeyFool

Cash Is King Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 06:19 Permalink

I don’t think it’s climate change or global warming that we have to worry about rather the population and the alarming rate at which the world population is growing that’s causing all our problems. You slow or halt that and we’ll be alright. Unfortunately, all our economies are dependent on this growth so it’s a lose lose!

In reply to by Slack Jack

PitBullsRule Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 09:24 Permalink

Slack, you might as well teach calculus to a bunch of cats! These Deplorables don't want to hear that shit, and anyway they would never do anything about it, its too inconvenient.

You, Slack, are wasting your time, and wasting memory locations on the internet. And the memory you are wasting, corresponds to electricity, which is energy, probably powered by carbon burning, thus you are heating up the world for no reason! Just STOP!

In reply to by Slack Jack

Abaco Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 10:28 Permalink

This little seque cracks me up:  "The ice sheets have been continuously melting for thousands of years. What is left of them today, is still melting, and will continue to melt. Human caused global warning will cause this remnant to melt significantly faster. This is a big, big, problem."

Yes the glaciers have been melting for thousands of years and then suddenly you dipshits, with zero evidence, slip in the "human caused" crap. Long before man walked the earth both the arctic and antarctic were lush and green.  Why is it that you assert the period when the earth was locked in ice is the norm and to be preferred and sacrificed for?

You have demonstrated a proficiency in cutting and pasting.  Thinking not so much.

 

In reply to by Slack Jack

taketheredpill Abaco Mon, 02/12/2018 - 10:40 Permalink

I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of scientists have been looking at this, using data and everything. They (by they I mean 99.999% of global climate scientists, not the one or two hacks who have switched over from denying cigarettes cause cancer) seem kinda 100% on-side with the whole humans causing climate change thang.

But...feel free to go back to university, get a degree, and spend a few years on your research.

Also try not to say anything about Blacks or Jews in your Thesis.  This tends to distract from the main points.

In reply to by Abaco

rejected Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 10:41 Permalink

Insanity runs rampant. Soon we will hear about 2017 being the hottest year yet!

Too hot... MMGW. Too cold... MMGW. Too wet... MMGW. Too dry.... MMGW. Too cloudy... MMGW. Too Sunny... MMGW.  Too whatever... MMGW.

The fact they had to change the term from MMGW to MMCC,,, and the fact they had to fudge the data,,,,,, not a matter.

 A tax and having loving governments regulate all business operations, dumping ungodly chemicals to dim the sky and killing 2/3rds of the population (EXCEPT THEM of course) is their answer.

In reply to by Slack Jack

Kayman Slack Jack Mon, 02/12/2018 - 10:50 Permalink

Stop the bus and let Jack off.

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is upon us.  No laying around the beaches of the Arctic Ocean. No sun tans in the setting sun.

Keep bleating to the converted but stop citing massaged statistics and fake charts from the true believers.

It is cold outside and I am getting tired of the snow.

FOAD

K

In reply to by Slack Jack

Troy Ounce Haus-Targaryen Mon, 02/12/2018 - 05:12 Permalink

 

"Nobody seems to care", says de Lille, mayor of Cape Town.

Desalination company GrahamTec (http://www.gtek.org.za/) is near Cape Town, runs international desalination plant projects to the tune of 150M liter per day. Grahamtec can solve all water problems in and around Cape Town in 6 months. At the current water price!!!

So is there a problem? Yes, the local government is the problem as actually, there should not have been a water problem in the first place!

In reply to by Haus-Targaryen

wolfeman HRH of Aquitaine 2.0 Mon, 02/12/2018 - 04:58 Permalink

It wasn't that the whites of South Africa "allowed" the nigger Marxists  to take over. It was the insane "anti apartheid" politically correct one world polices forced on them by primarily England and most of the rest of the world.  This succeeded in destroying Rhodesia and bringing it back to the stone age.  South Africa will soon look like all the other shithole countries that are controlled by blacks and Marxists.  The truth cannot be denied by any one that is not blind or part of the policies of destruction of  white preeminence. 

In reply to by HRH of Aquitaine 2.0