Obviously cracking of dirt was the least of our concerns as we struggled to find water. People literally stayed up all night or took shifts with their family members hoping the water would come on in the middle of the night. One man I'm told sat by the stand pipe all night one night waiting to get water. My pipes stayed completely dry for the almost two months. In the past weeks I too was staying up late, making trips to the stand pipe between 11pm and 1 am hoping to get at least enough water to bath a little bit, and maybe if I was lucky flush the toilet.
The toilet issue is where things get interesting, or at least the stories do. I apologize if this grosses anyone out, but be glad that it didn't happen to you, and take a little extra care the next time you flush cause it really is a magically thing. I continued to use the toilet, flush with a bucket whenever I was lucky enough to have the water to, which was never more than once a day and pour bleach in to try to keep things more sanitary. Friends however took some more interesting measures, including pooing in a plastic bag and a coke bottle so it wouldn't stay in their houses and stink up the place. If your like me and wondering on the logistics of the whole thing, I don't know so don't ask. I was also told a story of a grown woman, and by grown I mean at least 40, that went into her neighbors yard and popped a squat right there. I'm not really sure why she choose to go next door, maybe to even a score, maybe just to keep her yard clean, but these things happen.
I will say that for the moment all these problems have ceased as we had a full day of rain and everyone has water for the now. It definitely made yesterday a phenomenal day. I didn't get home till after 10 because by friends cat had kittens the day before and after training I went by to see the day old kittens, their eyes were still closed and the had to search blinded for the mother's teat which ended in some comical situations of sucking on paws and ears. After I got home I checked for water only because a friend said that they had because I was starting to think I would never have again. A miracle had happed and some beautiful brown water flowed from my pipes, so I started washing everything and filling every jug and bucket I own. I kept going till 1:30 am and since I washed all my pillowcases one time went to bed with t-shirt covered pillows. Even though my water is brown having it in my life again is more magical than seeing day old kittens for the first time in my life. Plus this mean now I won't have to worry about anyone shitting in my backyard, at least until we all loose water again.
