Living kind of isolated does have its advantages. I had no clue that the CEDAE municipal water company wasn't functioning for more or less 60 hours. I went to the veggies market this morning and caught the headline on the front of O GLOBO. 9 million Cariocas were without water. Due to the incredible heat the electric company has been doing some rolling blackouts and one hit an unprepared water distribution plant in Guandu. Lucky for me(yes, Lucky. I sure was!)my cistern which contains about 4000 gallons of water was nearly full. Good for about a month. Things are going back to normal. The picture on the front page of the paper shows a CEDAE worker at one of there units near the old train station in Leopoldina(near Central and Sambodromo) sleeping/resting on the top of an empty water tanker truck. No water flowing through the pipes even to the water company. I am sure with 90, 95 and 100 degree temps the smells have to be just as bad as what the passengers on the Triuumph has to endure.

http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/falta-dagua-atinge-toda-cidade-do-rio-municipios-da-baixada-7664631

Here in Zona Sul some neighborhood padarias/sucos/coffee places are conserving water, or were. I had no blackouts or water shortages in my apt. yet, thankfully, but yesterday the gym had no water for a few hours when I went. I hope this will end soon, it's making me nervous...I have a fear of living without a/c in this weather.