Cape Town officials say Day Zero - the day the municipal water system runs dry and people will have to queue with jugs - will not come this year afterall, as reservoirs begin to re-fill.

After warnings that Day Zero would come this month, Cape Town's web site now says that Day Zero had been "pushed out to 2019".  Residents will still have to adhere to stringent consumption restrictions, which now stand at 50 liters per person per day.

The dam that supplies Cape Town is just above 18 percent capacity, but others around South Africa are doing much better.  The Vaal Dam, which supplies the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria and much of South Africa's industry, was at 94.7 percent.  The Katse and Mohale dams have a combined capacity now of almost 54 percent, way up from January.

Forecasters are calling for above-average-rainfall for the next three months, according to the latest seasonal outlook from the South African Weather Service. 

But residents and businesses in Cape Town will have to maintain their newly-learned water conservation skills to get through. 

People take quick stop-and-start showers, often in buckets so the water can be recycled in the the toilet.  Using tap water for any outdoor purpose is banned.  Builders are using recycled or bore water for cement and mortar.  Some restaurants have abandoned pasta and boiled vegetables, while others have switched to paper tablecloths and napkins instead of laundered cloth.