Government yesterday defended its investment in the Island's water supply, as truckers raised the cost of a delivery to $70, blaming breakdowns in infrastructure for the rise.

Water truckers say the 13 percent increase — the first in three years — is needed to cover the rising costs of fuel and vehicle repairs resulting from plant breakdowns which force them to drive further.

The rise is due to take effect from April.

The recent dry winter weather has led many households to run dry on the Island, with truckers reporting demand outstripping supply by four-to-one. Up to 300 people are currently experiencing delays of up to five days to refill their tanks, forcing many to rely on neighbours for baths and showers.

Government says that since December, Bermuda has had less than half its normal rainfall — resulting in "the gradual emptying of water storage tanks throughout the Island".

It is urging residents to avoid washing cars, using dishwashers and taking baths until the situation returns to normal.

"It is important to conserve as much water as possible," said a spokesman.

Yesterday, however, Government denied there was a crisis. Minister of Works and Engineering Derrick Burgess told the House of Assembly: "There is no water crisis in Bermuda.

"Instead, members of the public have been advised to conserve water at this time of unusually low rainfall. Whilst there is a clear need for conservation, there is no crisis."

But Russ Ford, vice president of the Bermuda Water Truckers' Association (BWTA) said: "They will deny it, but even Steve McMinn (Principal Engineer for water and sewage) has admitted there are challenges."

He blamed "antiquated" equipment at Government outlets such as Port Royal, Prospect, Tynes Bay and St. George's for exacerbating the problem and urged more investment in infrastructure.

Plants breaking down is one of the reasons truckers have voted to raise their prices from $65 to $70 per truck load — the equivalent of 1,000 gallons.

Mr. Ford said that when plants fail, the truckers are forced to drive elsewhere — adding to fuel, repairs and maintenance costs.

"The Government wells are not consistent so we have to do more driving," he said. "The other day Prospect went down. There are 2.5 million gallons of water there but a pump fault meant they couldn't get it to the reservoir where the truckers could receive it.

"This is why Government should be upgrading their machinery and infrastructure."

The truckers get 75 percent of their water from Government outlets and the rest from private sources.

"We reluctantly raised the cost, but we had to do so," said Mr. Ford. "The truckers are providing an essential service, but we would also encourage the community to conserve and treat water as a precious commodity."

The BWTA members voted the increase at a meeting on Thursday. "It was a unanimous decision but it will not come into effect straight away as we don't want to be seen as exploiting the current shortage," said Mr. Ford.

He said the April 1 rise would coincide with the increase in taxes in the next Government fiscal year.

"We actually voted an increase a year ago but held off on it," he said. "But fuel costs have increased by 11 percent since November, and as a result of the poor service we are getting from many of the Government's outlets, we are making longer runs, with more wear and tear on our vehicles."

The Minister of Works and Engineering met with the BWTA executive earlier this week to discuss the current shortage and both parties resolved to hold quarterly meetings to discuss issues and concerns.

Mr. Burgess yesterday said work was in progress on updating the Island's water supply facilities.

In the House of Assembly he said: "Since the drought that Bermuda experienced during the summer of 2005 in particular, the Ministry of Works and Engineering has been working to upgrade existing facilities and to provide new water supplies for Bermuda.

"The Government is committed to the provision of both immediate and long-term solutions, including alternative sources of fresh water supply, in order that members of the public do not experience inconvenience or duress during periods of low rainfall."

The Minister told MPs that "several large reservoirs have recently been repaired and relined, thereby adding over 100,000 gallons of storage".

He said the North Shore Reverse Osmosis Plant and truckers' outlet has distributed more than 10,000 truckloads of water to customers since it opened last year. New RO plants operated by the Wedco in the West End have also added 100,000 gallons per day, and Government is extending the service from its Tudor Hill RO Plant.

Mr. Burgess added that the new Tynes Bay Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant will provide another 500,000 gallons per day from mid-May.

"There can be no doubt that the Tynes Bay Seawater RO Plant will improve significantly water supply in the centre of the Island, particularly during low rainfall periods, allowing new customers to be added to the Government water distribution system as well as providing additional supply for water truckers, both at the North Shore truckers' outlet and at the Frog Lane outlet.

"For a full year of operation, the plant could provide up to 165 million gallons, which will effectively double the amount of water previously available in the central area. Most importantly, the plant can be upgraded to produce 100,000 gallons per day if required."

Mr. Burgess said work was also underway in the East End to improve facilities. The Victoria reservoir has been repaired and the Club Med site could also provide storage.

"Government will also be working with the developer of the Club Med site to coordinate design and construction of water facilities to achieve the most benefit for the St. George's area," said Mr. Burgess.