Panama Canal Reduces The Maximum Number Of Ships Travelling The Waterway To 31 Per Day

PANAMA CITY — Due to a drought that has reduced the supply of fresh water needed to operate the locks, the Canal announced on Saturday that it would reduce the maximum number of ships that can travel the waterway daily to 31 from 32 in August.

This compares to the normal daily average of 36 to 38 ships per day.

Nine ships per day will be permitted to utilize the new, larger locks, while the old-fashioned Panamax locks will accommodate 22 ships per day.

The catchment also provides freshwater to Panama City, home to roughly 2 million of the country’s 4 million inhabitants.

The Canal Authority guaranteed a draught of 44 feet for ships, partly because 70 percent of waterway vessels require a depth of at least 44 feet.

In August, the canal instituted a policy limiting the maximum daily number of ships traveling through its locks to 32.

There needs to be more precipitation to sustain the watershed system of rivers and brooks that fill lakes, whose waters fill the locks.

The catchment also provides freshwater to Panama City, home to roughly 2 million of the country’s 4 million inhabitants.

source – ap