The sub-zero temperatures that have blanketed the ill-adapted "Deep South" - the southeastern United States - have damaged water lines and local authorities are scrambling to plug leaks and burst pipes.
The mayor of the city of Jackson, Mississippi, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, declared a state of emergency because the water supply does not have the necessary pressure due to burst pipes that are leaking, and part of the population has been without water since Friday.
People flock to the water distribution points set up by the city, and the queues are endless, and some give up waiting.
Flushing the toilet is a special undertaking, so some cover the toilet bowl with plastic bags to prevent the stench from spreading around the house, while others defecate in plastic bags, tie them up and throw them in the trash.
Across the "Deep South," leaks from burst pipes are emptying water towers faster than water treatment plants can replenish them.
The city of Selma, Alabama, spent three days trying to find where the water supply was leaking and shut down main pipes leaving entire neighborhoods without water to try to isolate the areas of the biggest leaks.
There are also massive water problems in the state of Georgia, and Atlanta city authorities have been handing out drinking water since the water supply has been dry since Sunday.
"I feel like we went back 50 or 60 years when this happened," said one resident.
Elsewhere in Georgia, some residents carry toilet flushing water in buckets from local ponds and swimming pools.
In the city of Memphis, Tennessee, with half a million households and businesses, authorities have banned non-essential water use, such as washing cars. The water problems there started almost a week ago when the company announced that the installation had burst due to the cold, and the supply was disrupted due to a power outage.
And in parts of the city of Asheville, North Carolina, citizens were advised to boil water, but then everything dried up due to extremely low temperatures.
Authorities there are telling those who somehow have water to leave their faucets running during cold weather because the pipes are less likely to freeze.
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