Bermuda Waterworks are under fire for not keeping customers in the know during their recent supply problems.

The company, which has a major headache with its service to the Hamilton area after losing a full-day's water production last week, has not been keeping businesses informed, it has been claimed.

It is hoped a full service will resume by tomorrow, when engineers fit parts flown over from the US last night.

One firm, Rock Island Coffee Cafe on Reid Street, had to shut its doors for two-and-a-half days after the water dried up -- making it impossible for them to trade.

Rock Island admitted they were warned to install a holding tank and use the supply for topping-up only, but still questioned why they were kept in the dark.

Waterworks customers steamed-up Owner Lisabet Outerbridge said they had lost a $1,000 a day in trade between their enforced closure from Thursday to Saturday morning.

All their coffee filter machines relied heavily on water, and as a result the "cup was dry''.

"We had to tell people we didn't have any coffee. Nobody talked to us and told us what was happening, we were very much in the dark,'' she said.

"The problem was the line of communication.'' She said they were not going to take any action with regard to the loss of business but were disappointed at the lack of details coming from Bermuda Waterworks.

They are now going to install a tank to avoid any future problems.

The problem began last Thursday morning when Waterworks officials at Bermuda Waterworks arrived at their reverse osmosis plant to discover an overnight pump failure which had gone undetected and lost 500,000 gallons of production.

Engineers have been working around the clock ever since to rectify the situation but it meant that supplies to Hamilton were hard hit, especially as the company's reservoir was at its lowest level.

Chief executive officer Allan Rance said it was difficult to inform all of their customers but said a news release had been put out to the radio station.

He said it was difficult to tell people what was going on when they had little information to give out.

It was anticipated that the repairs would be completed at the latest today and a full supply would be restored by tomorrow.

At present, capacity was running at 70 percent, he said, adding that parts of Paget, Warwick and Harbour Road had experienced severe disruptions.