PANAMA CITY, Panama: On September 30, the Panama Canal said that due to a drought that has reduced the supply of fresh water needed to operate its locks, it would reduce the maximum number of daily ships traveling through the waterway from 32 in August to 31.

Under normal operation, daily averages are 36 to 38 ships per day.

Nine ships per day will be allowed to use the new and larger NeoPanamax locks, and 22 per day will pass through the older Panamax locks.

As 70 percent of ships using the waterway require at least 44 feet in depth, the Canal Authority guaranteed a draft of that length.

In August, the canal implemented a measure capping the number of ships passing through its locks daily to a maximum of 32.