By now, everyone knows that those living in the Klang Valley will be facing a massive water disruption starting 9am tomorrow (24 April, also known as the 'Avengers: Endgame' Day) all the way until 11pm on 27 April.

That's four full days for some, although others are lucky enough that the water cut won't last as long.


Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) has advised those affected to store enough water to last you for two days (does this mean that the four-day notice is just a precaution?), and judging by the fact that pails and other containers that can be used to collect water is hard to find in these areas now, we guess everyone listened.

But, what else can we do to save the water already collected? Worry not, we have come up with a list of things you can do to survive one of the worst things that could happen to the human race - water shortage.

Meal prep

We don’t mean the kind you do when you’re going on a diet but if you want to take this opportunity to embrace healthy living, go for it!

We use a lot of water for cooking – from washing the vegetables and protein to doing the dishes – so it only makes sense to avoid doing that if possible.

Of course, there’s the option of eating out but if there’s no water in your homes, chances are the restaurants and the gerai-gerai near you are facing the same problem too.

Trust us, you don’t want to get food poisoning at a time like this.

If you really don’t want to meal prep, consider sticking to food that don't require much cooking, like sandwiches and...cereals?

Be smart about your showers

Please don’t use the water cut as an excuse not to shower. Nobody wants to get a whiff of your BO. However, please do be smart about it.

On the 24^th, try to shower and do whatever else necessary before 8am at the latest so there’s time for the water tank in your building to get refilled.

Wash your hair on this day as well because it may be your last chance before the taps run dry. If you have really oily hair, invest in some dry shampoo.

If you manage to use the bare minimum amount of water, hopefully the water in the tank can last for at least a day.

Once that runs out, you’ll need about one pail of water (much lesser if you’re willing to take a sponge bath instead) each time you clean yourself up.

If you limit showering to once a day, you’ll have to collect four pails of water, at least, just for bathing.

Visit family and friends

You know the family and friends you’ve been meaning to visit but haven’t because they live outside the Klang Valley, although they are technically not all that far away? This is the time to pay a visit.

Say hi to your friends in Subang, Kajang, Coalfields, Rawang and other places that, if you’re honest, can be reached in less time than some of the more jammed up places within the Klang Valley.

Offer to buy them dinner and maybe, they'll offer you a hot shower!

Those living in areas that are not too far from affected areas…this is your time to make some money!

Open your homes to your friends, families, acquaintances and make some moolah. RM5 for five-minute use of the toilet/bath sounds reasonable, don’t you think?

Go on a picnic

If you don’t have a 9 to 5 job and live near a river or waterfall, it’s time to throw a picnic!

There’s running water that you can use to shower and even do your laundry (try not to do this unless absolutely necessary), and you can haul water some back to be used at home.

If you have kids, even better, because more people to carry the water = more water at home. We're just kidding. It’ll be fun for the whole family and it gives you the perfect chance to bond.

Stock up on sanitisers

We totally get the need to wash your hands every so often, especially after touching things like doorknobs, any part of a public transport and even regular things like phones and the ATM.

But since water is scarce these four days, hand-sanitisers can be a good alternative.

Not only does it help save water, it’s also more accessible so you can get rid of germs faster. Win–win, if you ask us!

Pray for rain and hope your prayers are heard

We need it to rain for two reasons.

One: since you have to limit the number of times you can shower in a day, you don't want it to be so hot outside that even walking from your building to your car can cause you to sweat buckets.

(Unless you can actually collect the sweat in buckets and use it for something, although we don't recommend that).

Two: you can collect the water, especially if you don't live in a high rise, to be used to flush the toilet, water the plants and other purposes that does not need entirely clean water.

We know it's not much, but we hope tthese tips will help you navigate the perils of living without water for four days.

Keep calm and march on, comrades! Oh, and remember to use deodorant, yeah?