Well the standpipe used to freeze up and er when that occurred the grown men in the house used to light a fire round the standpipes, of course it was cast iron it wasn't copper or anything like that, and light a fire to thaw it out, I don't remember ever being without water but we used, it was a bit primitive but  burn newspaper and stuff round the standpipe and er the old as I say we used to, the water for the washing we used to pump into the sink and er  fill the old dolly tub with water for the washing and use the rainwater for washing.