Ministry of Public Works Puts New Measures in Place to Conserve Water

The Ministry of Public Works, in consultation with the Bermuda Water Truckers Association (BWTA), has determined that, due to the extremely dry weather conditions, new measures must be put in place to increase the quantity of potable water available to water truckers.

"There remains a large portion of the community who are solely reliant upon trucked water and are now in critical need of water," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works. "This backlog has resulted in residents experiencing long delays for a single load of water. The vast majority of the island depends on trucked water and in times of extreme dry weather this need increases dramatically."

To assist those residents who rely solely on trucked water, the Ministry of Public Works will be extending the access hours of the North Shore Water Truckers Outlet, the Frog Lane Water Truckers Outlet and the Port Royal Truckers Outlet beginning on Monday, June 12, in an attempt to assist the water truckers in servicing the increasing number of residents that are in desperate need of water.

In order for the Ministry to achieve this, a majority of the Government's piped customers will be shut off for approximately a week at a time to allow a greater supply for truckers. The majority of piped customers across the island have had access to water on demand, and will continue to have this ability during the periods that the piped service is on. Piped customers are encouraged to fill their tanks leading up to these outage periods and monitor their water levels throughout them.  

This restriction of piped water service will not be applied to essential customers such as the King Edward Memorial VII Hospital, Cedar Park and Mary Victoria estates, who are solely reliant on the piped water supply. The Ministry will monitor the situation and repeat these measures if and when it is necessary until this severe dry weather period subsides.

The schedule of piped water supply service will be communicated through press releases and also be posted on the Government Portal. The Government piped water customers will be given credit for the monthly fee charged during this time of restricted access.

The Ministry of Public Works would like to repeat its previous request to the public to make all efforts to conserve water during this time. Residents should only order water as and when they need it. Residents should also monitor tank levels regularly to determine if and when they will require water.  Water level indicators should also be considered, especially for customers who find it difficult to remove tank covers. This will ensure that water can be monitored, ordered and received before running out.

The following conservation measures are very effective:

• Check your water level regularly and order before your tank is empty
• Do not order more water than is necessary
• Carefully control the flow of piped water into your tank to avoid overfilling
• Check and quickly repair leaking faucets, toilets, and water appliances
• Minimize the number of times you flush the toilet
• Use well water for toilet flushing and car washing
• Take quick showers, not full baths
• Use a basin of water at a time instead of letting a tap run for brushing teeth and shaving
• Do not let water overflow or run after use
• Minimize use of washing machines and dishwashers
• Wash full laundry loads or set the washer to appropriate load size
• Reduce the watering of lawns and outdoor plants and filling pools

The Water and Sewage Section of the Ministry of Public Works are continuing to modify and monitor their plant to produce as much water as possible, as well as monitor their distribution systems to minimize system losses (leaks).

The Ministry of Public Works and the Bermuda Water Truckers Association would like to thank the public for their cooperation and pledge to meet the needs of our community.