WELLINGTON’S WATER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 83, 2 January 1935, Page 8

WELLINGTON’S WATER SUPPLY

A spell of fine weather the like of which has not been experienced in Wellington fop many years past has brought, the city within sight of a water shortage. The present position with regard to the reservoirs is that the inflow js less than the outflow. In other woi ds the supply is now drawing upon its reserves, and these, according to a statement by the City Engineer, are sufficient, with care, to last abotu a month A good fall of rain would restore the position and rain n)ay be close at hand, but the fact to be faced is that the shor.age has occurred at a time when under normal summer conditions a long spell of dry weather may be expected, and unless the greates care and moderation are exercised by consumers it may become really serious. The land is so parched at present that intermittent showers would make no difference to the inflow of water to the reservoirs. What is badly wanted is a spell of plenteous rams that will thoroughly soak the ground and enable the watersheds to send an ample surplus to the dams. It is not inconceivable that an extraordinary drought such as. created a seVious water, crisis in England during the last two years might also be experienced in this country. The situation brings with it a reminder that the city’s present water 'Supply system does not provide a big margin for emergencies. That fact has been emphasised time and again by engineers, who are strongly of the opinion that further provision should be made not only to ensure that an ample margin will be available over present requirements, but also for future needs. The population is steadily increasing,'and at the same time proportionately larger quantities ot water are being used by individual citizens, howadays than in ,he past. Modern sanitation is drawing more heavily on the supplies. Town and suburban gardens, with their patches of lawn, have multiplied enormously. The Victorian watering-can has been supplart.ee by the hose, the convenience of which is a temptation to prodiga. use. These developments suggest that the'unit of average consumption per head in estimating the requirements of the population should be raised accordingly. The unit which .provided an adequate supply in the past is manifestly inadequate to-day. . . From this point of view it.is be regretted that t.ic comprehensive w v ater-supply scheme proposed by Mr. G. A. .1 roup -when Mayor “of Wellington did not receive the consideration ano support due to it. The scheme envisaged the damming of the head waters of the Hutt River in the Akatarawa region, ensuring, it was estimated, ample supplies for the Hutt Valley boroughs., and adding substantially to the reserves of the city already provided by the dams in the -Waipui Valley' and atKarori. As the co-operation of all. the municipalities concerned was vital to the scheme-tlje opposition raised to it in. the Hutt Valley, where local schemes were favoured, sufficed to kill it. ’Tis an ill wind that blows nobody good, and if jt shotfld be the community’s misfortune to experience inconveniences and haidship’s of a prolonged dry spell, which would bring this question again to the foref that might be a blessing in disguise. /