#DayZero moved up to 12 April

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While thanking those who have amplified their water-saving efforts, Neilson encouraged those not yet on board to help the city avoid running out of water.

Organising water collection points

The city is in the process of finalising its operational plan for Day Zero, he said. "The Disaster Risk Management Department has been looking at how these water collection points can be managed to ensure efficiency is maximised. This involves anticipating what strategies households and businesses will employ to meet their water needs in the case of Day Zero, and how these strategies can be supported by designing and managing these collection points in a way that makes ergonomic sense.

"It is important we manage and organise these water distribution points in a way that does not frustrate household or business strategies to access water as efficiently as possible. It is crucial that we spend the time to troubleshoot these water distribution points effectively. A City Disaster Risk Management team is dedicated to this task and is consulting widely to make sure that we can accurately anticipate all possible factors which will affect queue length, safety and health risks at the sites.

#DayZero: Level 6B restrictions from Feb, new emergency measures proposed

18 Jan 2018

Local contexts

"If we want this disaster plan to be adopted with as little risk and inconvenience as possible, we need to look at the local context of each water distribution point. We need to build flexibility into the design of this plan to ensure that we can address any contingencies as they arise.

In addition to looking at water provision and distribution, the plan will also focus on safety and security, health and sanitation, as well as mobilising communities to help us assist vulnerable groups and individuals.

"A briefing on this plan will be arranged within the next 10 days," said Neilson.