Despite bouts of heavy showers in some areas along the south shore of Nova Scotia, the dry wells and drought-like conditions remain present.

Residents are still relying on fire halls for showers and to wash their clothes.

"It's been hell, really,” said Shelburne resident Jade Dolliver. “I mean, a family of five trying to have showers and laundry and dishes, everything, it's crazy without water."

Dolliver’s well dried up in July, and it’s been costing the family about $60 a month to go to the laundry mat.

Nearly 30 millimetres of rain fell in the area on Monday – but it barely put a dent in most dried up wells.

"It did increase our lake reservoir by three-fourths of an inch, so that's a good thing,” said Shelburne Mayor Karen Mattatal. “Certainly it's not enough to impact somebody's well."

Town officials say everyone in the municipality is invited to the fire hall in Shelburne Wednesday night for free showers, to fill up larger jugs of water, and to receive drinking water.

"There is an option that you could probably bring in the army,” said Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative MLA Chris d'Entremont. “The army has a lot of capabilities when it comes to desalination, making water safe, transporting it. But of course, there's a cost to the province on that one."

EMO Minister Zach Churchill said last week that the military is on stand-by, but as of now, not needed.

That decision is leaving many to wonder how much worse the situation has to become.

With little rain in the forecast, the only thing residents can do is try to conserve the water they do have the best way they can.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Suzette Belliveau.