DAM BURSTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 104, 27 January 1920, Page 3

DAM BURSTS

TE AWAMUTU IN TROUBLE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY GONE IBy Telcirrajh-Prcss Association. 1 Te Awamutu, January 26. A disastrous (lood occurred at Mount Tirongia on Friday, carrying nwny tho flam of .the borough water supply system and seven out of . eight pipe-carrying •bridges between the dam and the reservoir, which is fourteen miles distant. The reservoir maintained the supply until Mmdny at midday, when the decreasing pressure mulled in an inspection. By this time the water in the reservoir bad become exhausted, and thence in the town the supply was entirely cut off. The Borough Council engaged special gangs in'addition to the regular stuff, but several days must elapse before the supply can lie oven temporarily restored. The service has been instnlled for sixyears. The intake dam is twenty feet wide, of eighreen-inch reinforced" concTeto. This has been broken, and the valve-chamber carried away. The rush ■i of water at this point cut out a fresh channel, and tho stream is not now flowing into the intake at all. The huge concrete pillars of the pipe-carrying bridges have betn carried many chains dowr. the stream, and debris of all sorts has iheen thrown hieh up on the banks. The stream- has altered its course in several places, and tho whole of the three miles of pipe-line through nioun- , famous country has been demolished. she town is entirely without water, except for tanks mounted on lorries, which make deliveries from door to door.