As Government appealed to the public to conserve water, the Island?s water truckers said they were at their wits? ends about the fickle trickle at Government reservoirs.

Yesterday, several concerned water truckers said they were sick and tired of letting their customers down.

And whether the reasons for the reservoir closures were faulty equipment, lightning strikes or lack of rainfall, they said the results were always the same ? ?not being able to get water?.

Water trucker Johnny Eatherley confirmed yesterday the taps were closed at the three major water distribution plants ? Prospect, Port Royal and St. George?s.

?The water situation is pretty bad,? another water trucker, who refused to be named, said yesterday. ?It was like this all summer,? he said. ?It causes us to lose work?.

With an increased number of trucks on the road, truckers were stealing other people?s long-standing customers, he added.

He said kept hearing stories ?about pumps and stuff? being added to the reservoirs.

However, by Press time yesterday the status of the reverse osmosis plant was unknown, as there was no response from Government to inquiries about possible long-term solutions to the Island?s water woes.

The Department of Information and Communication did not respond to inquiries.

The concerned water trucker said he had been in the business for 30 years but had never seen things this bad.

?We have had dry spells before... We can?t keep up with demand for water,? he said.

?We don?t have the proper facilities,? he said. ?We need proper pumps. No Government reservoirs are working properly.?

At one time, truckers could deliver into the early hours of the morning if they wished to, he said, but those days are long gone.

?I am losing business and can?t keep up with the water demand... At one time we could work all night. But one day this summer, they shut down at 1 p.m.?

On Thursday, Government said the reservoirs at Prospect, St George?s and Port Royal had run dry several times and as a result the operating hours at Frog Lane, Port Royal and St. George?s were cut back.