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City authorities have imposed tough limits of water use to try a perverse Cape Town’s precious reserves as “day zero” approaches. Water management expert, Neil Armitage, said: “It’s like waking up one day to a magnitude 7 earthquake. The buildings are falling down. Everyone is in a panic.” Locals are going to extraordinary lengths to secure drinking water. Resident Fowzia Hendricks travels over 12 miles to a spring to collect drinking water to top up her quota.

The city authorities allow residents to use 50 litres of water a day, which they claim is enough to drink, do one sink full of washing and take a two minutes shower. Ms Fowiza said: “Everbody is panicking.” Anyone found to be ignoring the limits will have a limiting device placed on their pipes stopping them exceeding the quota.

GETTY Cape Town residents are in 'panic' as drought ravages the city

Everyone is in a panic Water management expert, Neil Armitage

Cape Town local Meg McGarrick said: “I haven’t bathed for over a year and I have the most beautiful bath overlooking the garden.” The water limit was recently slashed from 87 litres to just 50 litres per each of the cites four million residents. Trevor Hennings has installed bore holes to allow people access to water from aquifer beneath the city for a cost of around £14,600. He said: “There’s blind panic now.”

Water drought across the world Tue, March 22, 2016 Some 650 million people, or one in 10 of the world's population, have no access to safe water, putting them at risk of infectious diseases and premature death. Take a look through the struggle for clean water across the world. Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 14 Children drink water from a public water pump on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan

Local resident Mohammed Allie said: “Many desperate locals, armed with plastic containers, can also be seen collecting water from mountain streams around the city. “Water has clearly become the new gold of Cape Town, a city famous for its beaches and mountains.” The city rations 50 litres per day per resident, which covers drinking, washing cooking and even flushing the toilet. Authorities and residents are desperately trying to stave off “Day Zero”, set for April 12, when the city will become the world’s first to run out of water.

GETTY The city of four illion is expected to run out of water on April 12

SA Breweries has set up five taps outside of their premises in an effort to help residents stick to their quota by offering a top up. The brewery is able to offer fresh water to residents from a natural spring located behind its gates. However, the gesture has been taken advantage of by some seeking to exploit the desperate situation, it has been reported.

GETTY Some residents have been forced to queue for hours to get fresh water