Water orders are coming in so fast that truckers trying to keep abreast of the demand are already giving customers delivery dates of Monday and Tuesday next week.

The Royal Gazette called several water trucking companies yesterday and could not find one that could deliver by the end of the day.

But all the truckers were adamant that the Island is not facing a drought.

"People are just not watching the levels in their tanks,'' Marion Quaid of Kevin DeSilva water trucking explained. "There is no shortage of water. It's just that everyone is running out at the same time.'' Truckers are working long hours to bring relief to dry residents.

"We are working between 18 and 20 hours a day just delivering water, but we still aren't caught up yet,'' Mrs. Quaid said.

"Everyone is ordering water. The water truckers are very busy and very happy,'' said a spokesperson from Wilson's Water Trucking.

Several truckers have restricted their service to only their regular customers.

According to Grant Darby, secretary of the Bermuda Water Truckers Association, the community "and especially residential customers, can materially help themselves and the water industry by checking their tanks on a regular basis and ordering water before the tank runs dry''.

He added: "People do not drive their cars around until they run out of fuel, so we cannot understand why so many people wait until the tap stops running before calling the water truckers.

"The frustration and aggravation this causes on both sides is quite wearying.

I personally have had to put up with abuse when I have told callers that it will not be until next weekend that I can get around to them.'' So far this year, 18.65 inches of rain have fallen, down from 22.14 inches this time a year ago. In May, just 2.14 inches fell compared to an average of 3.04, while it has yet to rain this month.

Light showers are forecast for the weekend, but both the duty forecaster at the Bermuda Weather Service and several water truckers advise residents that it would take a few days of torrential rain to refill low tanks.