Fresh water for the kitchen - Snow block goes into melt tank for freshwater
Walter Townsend - 1960's - Antarcticans Database Project - more

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1963 - Freshwater in liquid form can be a difficult thing to obtain in Antarctica. In the winter months one way of doing this without too much difficulty was by "snow-blocking" cutting deep snow banks into large but readily handled blocks which were dropped into a melt-tank which was usually heated by being next to the exhaust from the generators. It meant that fresh water for washing was in short supply so a quick weekly shower was all that the people were allowed, drinking, cooking and cooking implement hygiene coming first.

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Photo; © Walter Townsend