The Cape Town 10s will not use any municipal water at next month’s event as the city prepares for Day Zero.

Day Zero, when the drought-stricken region’s dams reach a collective 13.5% and the City of Cape Town turns off the taps, was recently brought forward to 12 April.

With 20,000 people set to attend the Cape Town 10s, a water policy document for the event has been put in place in partnership and close collaboration with the City of Cape Town. It outlines the initiatives that will ensure that all targets are met, and through stringent implementation limit the impact of this event on Cape Town’s water resources.

The plan includes water trucks, chemically treated toilets, ‘water from air’ process equipment, water purification of non-potable water, no showers, and no water misters or splash pools.

‘The 2018 Cape Town 10s’ intention is to ensure that it will draw zero litres of drinking water from the municipal supply,’ said 10s tournament director, Gerhardi Odendaal.

There will also be an awareness campaign, using the hashtag #6BFORME on social media, to further drive home the City of Cape Town’s urgent message of water saving and the shift to level 6B water restrictions.

‘It is crucial that we create further awareness around the water crisis, not only in the Cape,’ said former Bok captain Jean de Villiers, who is a patron of the Cape Town 10s. ‘We all have roles to play, and with the number of popular celebrities attending the event, we are in a position to do our bit as water warriors. I fully support the #6BFORME initiative and I invite all South Africans to do the same.’