A lack of rain has helped the water trucking business to bloom this year after a disastrous 2023 for the industry.

While 2023 proved to be one of the wettest years on record for the island, rainfall for 2024 has been lower than average with the typically dry summer months still to come.

According to the Bermuda Weather Service, 18.66in of rain have been recorded so far this year, 2.5in less than the average rainfall during the same period.

AquaXpress Water Service said the dry weather had left them extremely busy in recent weeks, for both water deliveries and tank cleanings.

“It’s an absolutely different situation to what we had last year,” a spokesman said. “Our average deliveries per day is between 15 and 20 right now.

“Some trucks that carry 2,000 gallons may be delivering close to 30 or 40 loads per day, so it’s extremely busy right now.”

He urged the public to keep a close eye on their tanks to make sure they are not left waiting as truckers work to meet the high demand.

Another water trucker echoed the sentiments, saying: “I train my customers to check their tanks regularly.

“Some people may not be able to afford to get four loads, but if they maintain their tanks and get one or two loads every month or so it means it’s easier for us to meet the demand.”

The trucker said the summer dry season was still picking up and he expected demand for water to rise in the coming weeks.

He added that there was a night-and-day difference from last year, when he said heavy rains meant a lack of business for water truckers.

“It was like winter came twice,” he said. “We lost a whole year of work and we still had to maintain our trucks, we still had to pay our bills.”

Another water trucker said business had been booming for the last month, but it was hard to see what the summer season would bring.

“Last year was crazy,” he said. “I don’t think anybody made any money, but this year has been pretty good thus far.”

He said that he was aware of people who hold off on buying water in the hope of rain, only to find themselves in a worse position when it doesn’t come.

“I have a weather app that said the other week it was going to be lightning and thunder and it never happened,” he said. “It was cloudy all night and it never rained.

“A lot of people will hold out and wait, but to get good tank rain you need a good downpour.”

Water Now, another water trucking firm, said that business had picked up in recent weeks as dry weather continued.

“Last year was a disaster, but this year is looking pretty good so far, pretty steady,” a spokesman said.