Climate Changed
What It’s Like to Live in a City Without Water
Cape Town residents are taking extreme measures to cut consumption during a record drought.
Lining up at the natural spring in Newlands.
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
To shower in 90 seconds or less like a local in Cape Town, you need a plastic basin to stand in—a bucket’s just going to lead to wastage—and, preferably, a hand-held shower.
Capture any water you run before the shower reaches a decent temperature in your basin, then quickly wet yourself before turning off the faucet. Soap up and clean before turning on the water again. If it’s a hair-washing day and you haven’t made the switch to dry shampoo, skip the “repeat” bit after rinsing.