We are now going for day 6 without water - people walk around carrying buckets on their heads to just try get water home to their families. We do have a 2000 L water tank connected however we did not anticipate the water shortage and was not made aware of it by any institution that their was a chance of not having water for so long (which they knew but just decided not to worry about sending out notices to residents) so with result is - we did not prepare ...
At the time the water cut off our tank was under 1/4 full ... Now that gives an approximation of 500L (sounds like alot hey).
Still unaware that the water will not be coming back on; I did 2 loads of washing (and how I regret that now - I should have just did the smell test and what looks and smells clean must stay unwashed) but since nobody can really predict the future I did not know and just happily carried on with getting all my washing up to date while I had an off day to catch up with what needs doing around the house.
A family of 2 adults 1 baby and 3 kids who has a clean set of uniform each day makes a helluva lot of washing for a week.
And then there is bath time too ...
Now this is the part where "drilling" your kids to learn to do things comes back to bite you on the @$$ ....
Every time since they been very small when they leave the toilet you as a parent remind them "I didn't hear the toilet flush" or "are you sure you flushed properly" ...
Every time they want juice you tell them - "rince out the cup you used earlier when you finished using it then you wont need a clean one from the cupboard when you want juice again"
The past few days that all has changed to :
"Noooooooo!!!! don't flush the toilet unless you made a poo" and they look at you like you been kidnapped and replaced by an alien ...
You then taught them NEVER to leave the toilet without making sure it is all clear!! Now you tell them NOT to leave it clear...
They stare at you with that "what the heck mom" or "make up your mind" look on their faces as if you are the nutty one.
And now you tell them ... just use your school juice bottle during the day for juices - don't use cups or glasses ...
Then you get that crazy look again with "But you always say that our school juice bottles are for school - not for home use".
Only way to get water is to buy 5L bottles of still water from the shops at an average of R16.99 per 5 litre; we spent in excess of R300 getting some water supply for the house.
Bath, toilet, baby needs water for his formula, dishes to be done, cooking, etc etc. You will be surprised how thirsty kids get when they know there is not much water. They all then want to drink water (which I am not complaining as it is the healthier option to grabbing juice to drink).
When checking the empty bottles collected in the passage this morning (as one gets used the empty gets moved to the passage to try find a means to get it filled during the day) there was 13 x 5L bottles standing empty.
Hard to believe that 65L are used so quickly while actually going very sparingly with it.
I don't care what anyone says but I feel that we as humans take water for granted wayyyyy too much ...
People always say it is a convenience to open a tap and have running water; yes that is but have you ever gone 6 days with no running tap and no flushing toilet? Especially with 3 kids who are still learning too that you do not need an entire roll of toilet paper per toilet sitting?
It is chaos !!!
Rather let me go without electricity - but not water!!!
According to a lady from the department of water works - the dam is dried up and they do not know when there will be water again.
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