The Samoa Water Authority is urging people to conserve water to avoid a looming water crisis.
The Samoa Observer reports that over the past two weeks it has received countless calls from people complaining about not having any tap water.
A reporter who visited the reservoir at Fuluasou yesterday says it is nearly empty.
Despite some heavy downpours in recent weeks, the river that flows through Tuaefu, Tuanaimato and Lepea has all but dried up.
The authority's manager of Urban Operations and Maintenance Division, Tauili'ili Ekiumeni Fauolo, told the paper the authority often has to fight for water with the Electric Power Corporation, which uses hydro turbines.
Tauili'ili says the authority is now working on another pump station which will increase the intake for the treatment plants through the old power corporation dam at Tuaefu and take the pressure off streams.
He says it is a lot more complicated than the simple equation of rainfall meaning more water and the catchment area needs three months of solid rain to be able to service all areas properly.
