Cape Town water crisis a 'big reality check' for Sudbury professor, partner

Two Sudbury professors who do work in Cape Town, South Africa say the community's water crisis is making them rethink how they use water.

Architecture professor Kai Mah and his partner, political science professor Patrick Lynn Rivers, are co-directors of a project called Afield.

Mah and Rivers have been travelling back and forth to Cape Town to design and establish an early childhood learning centre for poor children.

Currently, Cape Town is dangerously close to running out of water. Officials have been warning of Day Zero, when no more water will come out of the taps.

Rivers says when they're in Cape Town, they're only allowed to use 50 litres of water per day, per person.

"Which is equivalent to about 15 litres a day for showering, about a 90 second shower, and about nine litres a day for flushing your toilet … which is about one flush per day," he said.

Rivers adds he's been using cold water to help keep his showers as short as possible. He says once Day Zero arrives in Cape Town, people will be restricted to 25 litres per day, per person.

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"Much of the world lives with much less water than we do," he said.

"It's basically giving us a taste of how the rest of the world lives. It's a big reality check."

Mah says the situation in Cape Town shows how different areas of the world are dealing with different crises.

"While South Africa is experiencing drought, many North American cities are experiencing floods," he said.

"It is a water issue, either water scarcity or too much water."

Mah says watching the situation unfold in Cape Town shows how local cities should better understand their lake systems, and how to better think about managing and developing around them.