Residents have been assured that the Knysna municipality is taking water breaks, now a frequent event, very seriously and that the 50-year-old faulty pipes are going to get attention.
I am just one of the Upper Town residents affected by three breaks last week, with Friday being the final straw as water was out most of the day.
Prior to this, dry taps and the sound of machines buzzing and clunking their way to dig up decrepit pipes have become commonplace in the last couple of months.
Only days before Friday I had spoken to somebody in the tourism industry about the possible ramifications for the Garden Route of the day that Cape Town runs out of water – when Day Zero really happens.
Since 60% of our tourism originates in Cape Town, if it does run dry there is every chance that it will be the end of those tourists here for a while. No sane person goes touring in a destination that does not have water.
Pondering the gravity of this situation, I will admit I also thought of my own misery, not being able to shower anymore, wash my hands 500 times a day and brush my teeth every time I pass the bathroom.
Having said that, I am a firm believer in learning a lesson from every hardship, so Friday was an epiphany day for me.
I was just as fed up, rattled and grumpy as any one of us without water, but when in the afternoon there was still a dearth of water I decided to role-play Day Zero.
No ways was I going to give up my marathon on the treadmill, a war on a punch bag at gym – my Friday favourite and perfect way to end the week and start a weekend.
Ok, so I did cut back on slurping from my exercise bottle after I overhead the gym owner telling somebody they could use the toilet at their own peril.
Drenched in sweat after my workout and smelling horrible, I cheerfully greeted people at long range, then decided that rather than have a tantrum, I would have a bucket bath.
No more than two litres of water went into the Tupperware container I placed in the bath before the judicious wash began.
It makes perfect sense (besides, most mothers teach their children this) that the wash starts from top to tail and then toes. Perfectly spruced and smelling fine, I was enormously pleased with the whole exercise afterwards – but also humbled.
Using so little water is perfectly doable. There are many people in the world who do not even have this small privilege.
And if we all try a helluva lot harder to do things like bucket bath, perhaps Knysna will escape Day Zero.
Google the #CapeArgusShowerSong which you play during a drip and drop shower.
