WASTED WATER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1641, 7 January 1913, Page 5

WASTED WATER.

THE/CONSUMPTION IN WELLING.. TON.

A PRODIGAL PEOPLE.

Three weeks of fine, rainless weather in Wellington, and peoplo begin to talk of want of rain; a month of it, and it is called "a dry spell"; six weeks—and it is a drought. Wellington had three weeks line weather beiore vne downpour on New Year's Day, and both in tne city and country "tne dry time" lurnishod an inoxhauatiblo topic of conversation to many, and meant a heavy demand on the city's excellent supply. Since then Mr. W, H...Morton (City Engineer) has been approached by 1 a .Dominion representative, with u request '/or information regarding the daily consumption of wator in Wellington in the summer time, and an Approximate idea of the consumption pir head. Mr. Morton proved to be quite illuminative on tho subject—as he is on most subjects at all concerning municipal matters of moment. Ho stated that Wollington city was at present drawing an average of 4,800,000 gallons of water from the Wainui supply, but in addition to that tho Karori dams were supplying tho dwellers on the high lovels within the city boundaries—Northland, Kelburno, and Devon Street, Other hill-top sub; urhs, such Brooklyn and Itjseneuth, were supplied from the city mains,per medium of service reservoirs, into which water is pumped from the mains diriugthe nightrhours (when the pressure was not affected by the demands of the wcrk-n-day city). With this addition, Mr. Morton 6aid that our maximum average daily consumption in eummer-dmo was quite 5,000,000 gallons, for Greater Wellington. Taking x the population.-cf the city, as 60,000, the maiimum consumption in summer figured out at j>bout' 80 gallons per head per day; and at 70,000 at 08 gallons per head per day. The rungo of ■population is given, as there are still residents in isolated parts of tte city whose houses are not yet connected with the water system. Taking a line tl.Tcugh these figures, and knowing the,amount of water which goes through the big main' meters every .day, it is quite fair to assume that the average summer owisumption of water per head per day is approximately 75 gallons.' How wos this compare with other centres? Mr. Morton, could riot give off-hand fte figures, for the other New Zealand centres, biit gave "out of .his head" a few comnara-: tivo figures, which pretty clearly indicate that Wellington is a largo consumer. The figures were;— '< ■■■-■-■ Consumption per : , City.. \ '' - headuerday., ,'i .......... : 30 gallons. .'■• Glasgow ..........;.... 47 gallons. . Sydney 100: gallons. Wellington '............... 75 gallons..: Mr., Morton states that.Glasgow shows the highest ooiisuniption per head in the United Kingdom; /-As will bo seen, London, with its "great unwashed" and thousands of houses without- tho;, promise^of a bathroom, is well down in. the list. Wellington, .in Mr. Morton's opinion,: uses too much water.i' Ho is just a little afraid that we oro somewhat prodigal .in tho uso of it, and that tho examplo set will not be, to tho advantage of the city,; as, in : its growth, it creeps up to the re-cently-augmented '".'" "I o>m certain that there are vast quantities of water going, to waste, or at least, quantities over and above tho ordinary normal supply aro being used without being run through a meter. If I had my way, I: would -have''a water-moter in every house in the city, irrespective of whether thcro was a garden attached pr not, and would charge so much per tliousnnd gallons over and above the quantity allowed for each house. There aro plenty of people now who for hours during tho recent i dry spoil hosed their gardens - and lawns, many of thorn havo never applied to have a meter installed. The by-lawys provido that if caught in the. act they can be prosecuted and fined,. but the council'would want an army of inspector* if) detect everyone who .fveshened up a :gnrdeii-' of'an evnning-'on'dry days. I would got ■ over' that by; making ,it compulsory for every 'house,'- shop, and fac, tory: to;have,a water-meter installed,, in order, to prevent all waste, and educate the public to bo economical with the water, whore they were -mostly' inclined to be otherwise.: You'vo foen that bis reservoir at Bell Rond. It holds 2.000,000\ gnllons of water. Fancy—Wellington using that: moreithnn tivico full per day. 'It seems hardly possible. r;Y Ol,r meter i is., going to be tho . check. ' . ". -, "I would bel the Inst to prevent anyono looking after a garden, and making : the l>ost out,of his land, and I recognise that the soil of Wellington does not hold the water—that it dries up in between two or three those who.would have' the luxury of a gardpn miust l>o prepared to pay'for it., And,- after .all. our charge for water is very low. . Buc there must bo an effeotivo check on the man who allows the hose to play on his lawn thronghont tho night, without hav-ing-tho water metered, os by so doing ho is u<nn? a service towards the rost nf which he is not contributing his. fnlf share." -;'.-■'. '••.■'• • .