LAKELAND - As millions of dollars of aid pour into Florida, government bureaucracy is soaking up the federal money meant to help the victims of Hurricane Charley.

In Lakeland, tractor-trailers loaded with much-needed supplies were sitting in a holding pattern Thursday, almost literally burning money. At just one location, 79 trucks sat idling, with no apparent destination.

"I'm going on three days sitting with water. It's probably boiling, it's so hot in there," one truck driver told Action News.

"I wanted to distribute this water to the people," another added. "[Officials] say they don't need water."

But Action News found plenty of hurricane victims that would disagree. While some comfort stations are running low on water and countless neighborhoods are completely dry, plenty of water is just sitting at the Lakeland depot.

"We get $975 a day to stand here, whether we move or not," a third driver said.

Officials with FEMA told Action News they were aware of the situation, and were doing the best they could given the federal restrictions they have to deal with.

"You think it's not frustrating to us? We're very frustrated by the process, but the process has to take place," stated Jim Lowry of FEMA. "Ice is a critical situation. We have ice sitting here waiting for the victims."

Lowry explained that FEMA is waiting on the federal General Services Administration -- the purchasing arm of the U.S. government -- to find government-approved warehouse space for the water.

Some truckers suggested using the abandoned building at the site as a place to store their loads, but federal agents nixed that idea.

"It has to meet government specifications. It has to be handicapped-accessible," Lowry continued.

Meanwhile, at a nearby United Way staging area being run by private citizens, volunteers were having no problems storing or distributing water -- just finding it.

"I know the water we've got here, we've been getting out," one busy volunteer observed.

FEMA insisted it was working on finding a warehouse as soon as possible, while Division of Forestry officials claimed the trucks in Lakeland were on standby to move out at a moment's notice.

Either way, until the federal government can get its agencies to work together more efficiently back in Washington, thirsty storm victims in Fort Meade, Lake Wales, and Haines City will have to rely on their fellow Floridians to help them out.

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