8 Ways To Survive Water Rationing With Babies

Published on makchic.com April 2014

Let’s face it, water rationing sucks. I didn’t think I could handle the alternate “two day got water, two day no water” scheduling but at the end of March I patted my back and said, “Well done January, you did it.” Then I got sent an email saying that they were extending it for another month. All the curse words in every language I knew ran through my head and I had a knot in my tummy. How in the world am I going to go through this again?

We’re halfway through April and I hope and pray to all the Gods that this will end this month. It hasn’t been easy but in a way I use water a lot more intelligently now. Here are a few things I’ve done to survive the dreaded rationing with two 7-month old babies at home.

1. I’m lucky that I live in a house that has a tank but even then without proper usage the tank can run out pretty quickly so now bathing rights go solely to my husband because he goes to work. Babies come second, so they bathe every alternate day if not they are just wiped down and I bathe on days that there is water.
2. Fill up every single container you have. All the pots and pans in your kitchen, water pitchers, pails and if need be buy bigger containers to fill up on days you have water. Buy extra thermos flasks to fill up boiling water with and keep cooled boiled water for all formula feeds.
3. If you have enough milk bottles for all their feeds, great, I sterilize six the night before and four in the afternoon after their third feed. Wash all bottles at the end of the day, not after each use.
4. The first thing I do when water comes in is the babies’ laundry and only then mine. I try not to do any laundry on the second day there is water so I can keep the tank as full as possible for the next two days.
5. I cook (my food and babies’ food) on the first day that there is water and keep the rest in the fridge or freezer so that for meals all I need to do is reheat on no water days.
6. I use one mug for my coffee and one glass for water throughout the day. For meals, I use paper plates and disposable chopsticks or eat with my hands to reduce cutlery as much as possible.
7. If water levels get too low I wash my hair at a hair salon, which is great because I get to pamper myself too.
8. Keep pails outside to collect rainwater, you can use this water to wash bathrooms or the porch.