Supplying Bermuda with a sustainable source of water is exactly what the water truckers have been asking for and is what the Budget has made a priority.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering has a Budget of $74 million and one of its priorities is the development of a 20-year water supply Master Plan that will build on the current infrastructure ? and add to it.

The perpetual problem of summer droughts may find relief in the two concrete initiatives presented yesterday.

They include the development of the Tynes Bay Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant and the North Shore Containerised Plant with a Truckers? Outlet. The North Shore Containerised Reverse Osmosis plant and truckers? outlet will generate 115,000 gallons of water a day, which should double the current water collections.

A spokesperson for Bermuda Water Services Ltd. said: ?The North Shore Plant opened this Monday so water truckers are able to pull up and get water from it, but it hasn?t opened officially because I think they are still testing it.

?The fact that it has 115,000 gallons means we are able to have 115 loads in 24 hours because each truck carries 1,000 gallons.?

The current North Shore plant appears already be making a difference in the cost effectiveness already for the truckers.

The spokesperson added: ?The four outlets are run from above the truck by gravity, which makes it easier because we don?t have to worry about running the motor to draw the water in as you do if you are loading from water outlets from below the truck.

?It also increases our productivity because it only takes five minutes to load the water whereas before it would take anywhere from six to seven minutes.?

Bermuda Water Services Ltd. said truckers are happy with the initiative and will be able to deliver water to the public in a more timely manner especially with the added efficiency of swipe cards that will allow truckers in and out quickly.

Both plants will be run by reverse osmosis, which uses water from a well and purifies it so that the truckers do not have to rely on the rain.

The second plant at Tynes Bay is scheduled to be operational by March, 2008 and will provide 500,000 gallons per day.

Hotels are also pleased with the plan as Martin Duxbury, manager of Horizons Cottages said: ?We have a water catch, but do find ourselves buying water from Watlington Waterworks at times.

?The extended water plan would help the public because there is a general need and it would put less strain on Watlington and other water areas so they will be able to supply the public.?

The Works and Engineering budget also presented a plan to improve the efficiency of the Marsh Folly Waste Facility.

Currently the facility collects a significant amount of horticultural waste, which is then composted and produces a fertiliser product that is given to the public for free.

Concern was raised early in 2006 and Senator David Burch had said that the facility need to be ?rehabilitated.?

The new plan would install a scale to monitor product volumes as well as to facilitate the possible sale of this material.