Day Zero, Cape Town, South Africa

[Anomalocaris]

I'm a little unfamiliar with what actually happens when a city runs out of water.  Do they turn off the water treatment plant and the water mains no longer carry water?  When there is a fire, what happens?

Are they prioritizing water deliveries to hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and institutions ?   Or is it going to a Malthusian survival of the fittest demonstration ??

High rise buildings with apartments would seem to me to be fire traps if there is no central water supply, am I missing something?

Are there any estimates for an actual population count for Cape Town that is sustainable with the actual average water resources and is the plan essentially to just make the city increasingly inhospitable and unpleasant until that population level is reached ??

I believe day zero is the predicted date when the level of water in major reservoir serving the city falls below the Intake valves serving the city's water system.  After that pressure can't be maintained without shutting off most of the water distribution system.   Water will be turned off to residential dwellings and commercial businesses,. but will continue to be supplied to hospitals and public water access points.   I assume the sewege treatment will keep running as long as possible.  Water will Remain available at public Access points, but limited to about 6 gallons per person per day.

I assume that means water will be turned off to any wet risers in the high rises, but will remain available for delivery through dry risers in case of fire.

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Incidentally southern California was near this point in winter 2014-2015, with large number of reservoirs at levels below where water can be drawn from them.

Also, South Africa and California suffered from the same symptom - agriculture siphoned off large percentage of available water while providing only a negligible percentage of employment and economic output during drought years.