The final flushes in Santo Domingo

Imagine being able to take a shower at any hour of the day. Flush your toilet whenever you go the bathroom. Wash dishes with hot water. These simple luxuries are about to be mine! For 2 years I have lived in an apartment building that restricts water by turning off access from 3pm - 6 pm and 11 pm - 6 am - every day. On the weekends the water doesn't come on until 7 am. Once the toilet tank is empty, you've had your last flush. The shower and sink are connected to an auxiliary tank called a tinaco, but the water only trickles out so it's impossible to wash your hair. Not a problem most days, but imagine having to get ready for let's say graduation at 6 pm and not being able to wash your hair, only sprinkle yourself with cold water.

Places here have a hot water heater that has a switch that you turn on 20 minutes before you need hot water. The tank doesn't have an automatic shut off valve so you need to remember to turn off the switch so the water doesn't continuously heat. During those water restricted hours there is no access to hot water at all. Just trickles of cold. It's tropical here so you don't need steaming hot showers, but the garden hose frigid water isn't always easy to take.

I'm all for conservation of water. This isn't the end of the world. I've been doing it for 2 years, but boy am I ready to be able to take a quick shower whenever I want and isn't it going to be nice to flush.