Government is set to embark on a Master Plan for water supply in Bermuda.

The announcement was made by Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess who told the House of Assembly that despite the current lack of rainfall "there is no crisis".

Only 14ins of rain has fallen so far this year six inches below the normal levels, leading to high demand for water supplies.

Mr. Burgess said 16 million gallons of water were sold by the Ministry in April, with three million gallons sold to water truckers.

He told the House on Friday: "Works and Engineering produces water at six water treatment facilities across the Island and is currently managing the demand on the system. There is no crisis.

"Completion of the new Tynes Bay Water Treatment Facility, a seawater reverse osmosis plant, has aided in providing an additional supply of 500,000 gallons per day in the central parishes, a volume that was not available last year. The second phase will be an additional 500,000 gallons which will be available in September."

The Ministry provides water to three separate zones on the Island: east, central and west.

• In the East Zone

The system consists of two small treatment facilities which supply water through a pipeline to individual properties and to a small truckers outlet which services St. George's parish. "I am obliged to report that the East Zone truckers' outlet is not open due to limited supply," said Mr. Burgess.

"The facilities are currently meeting the demands of the piped water customers with the truckers accessing water from the central trucker's outlets.

"There are plans to establish a new truckers' outlet in the St. George's area to service both St. George's and Hamilton Parish in early January 2010," added the Minister.

• In the Central Zone

The Minister said there were several sources of water available including three treatment facilities owned by the Ministry. These facilities service Pembroke, Devonshire, Smith's and Hamilton Parishes and provide water to the Prospect Truckers' Outlet.

The Ministry also has a connection to Bermuda Waterworks Ltd. which provides an additional source of water if required and available.

Mr. Burgess said: "The Prospect Truckers' Outlet is open to truckers for 24 hours daily. The outlet has several metered outlets assigned to trucking companies with a single automated outlet. The automated outlet has seen high usage in recent weeks, causing delays for the truckers. The Ministry is preparing the North Shore Truckers' automated outlet to be re-opened with additional outlets."

• In the West Zone

The West Zone is serviced by a single water treatment facility, which provides water to the western portion of Southampton and Sandys.

"The level of production has caused challenges for the Ministry to produce adequate amounts of water to service the west end.

"The Port Royal Trucker's Outlet is open for reduced hours daily, to allow our tanks to maintain adequate water levels for distribution into the piped system. This has resulted in truckers travelling to the central outlet to collect water," said Mr. Burgess.

He added: "The Ministry is providing water to the Dockyard area, when required, to ensure that the area has adequate water supplies while cruise ships are in port. There is even greater emphasis placed upon ensuring the availability of drinking water in the Dockyard area following the opening of the new cruise ship terminal just over a fortnight ago."

He said the Ministry was monitoring water production, supply and usage at facilities across the Island. "In addition, the Ministry is managing the existing resources accordingly to ensure that all residents have access to potable water."

Government has recently launched a National Water Conservation Campaign and is to develop a Master Plan for water supply. Requests for proposals will be released within the next month to independent consultants knowledgeable about the water resources and systems in Bermuda.

The key goals the proposed Master Plan are to:

• Ascertain Bermuda's national water infrastructure and help develop the planning and design of servicing strategies to utilise the capacity of existing infrastructure and expand the systems where required.

• Evaluate sufficient reserve capacity in Government and private water systems infrastructure and facilities to provide operational flexibility and meet potential changes in servicing conditions, such as low rainfall periods.

l Evaluate potential for development of a Bermuda Water Authority to develop regulations (legislation) and public policy for issues relevant to the distribution and sale of water for potable and non potable uses.

l Provide financial analysis of the production, supply and operations/maintenance of the Island's water systems.

Mr. Burgess added: "The preliminary schedule for the project is approximately 18 months and the final plan will provide a clear roadmap for expanding and managing the water supply in Bermuda for the next ten to 20 years.

"We are managing our water resources well and remain committed towards ensuring that the needs of the Island will be met in the short and long-term."

n Further report from the House of Assembly on page 9, more in tomorrow's Royal Gazette.