WELLINGTON’S WATER PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 19, 18 October 1943, Page 6

WELLINGTON’S WATER PROBLEM

Heavy Draw-off For Camps SHORTAGE POSSIBLE IN SUMMER Though there is a definite scheme to provide the metropolitan area of Wellington with a new and ample supply of water front the head-waters of the streams that How into the Hutt Valley from the foothills of the Tararuas, nothing, save the surface plans, has been done to implement it. The scheme visualizes a gravity water supply, not only for the city of Wellington and the Hutt Valley, but for that area of country which extends from Tawa Flat northward to Plinimerton, taking in Porlrua, Paremata, I’ahautanui, Judgeford and contiguous lands which may be settled within the next quarter of a century. ’ The first essential, however, is to see that the closely-built and densely-populat-ed capital city itself is not left short. Wellington had' the good luck to get through comfortably last summer, due to much broken weather, but the conditions may be entirely different during the coming summer. A dry summer would see the city up against it for water. Ample reason'for that is the extra demand which is being made on a non-elastic system. There are many camps in and around Wellington, housing a large number of men, who require a great deal of water. This extra demand is a factor that is worrying the authorities somewhat. Though it has been a bountiful spring as far as rainfall is concerned, the. actual water supply of Wellington is not aided very much (except through added soakage), as there is no provision for storage other than what has been available for the past quarter of a. century. Alanpower and material are not at present easily made available for such a big job, so there is no immediate prospect of work on the scheme being started, and, as it will take four or five years at least to complete the scheme, there does not appear to be much relief in view except from the additional bores that are being sunk at Gear Island, Lower Hutt.

In these circumstances it is already on the cards that Wellington citizens may be asked to economize in the use of water before Christmas, whereas such appeals have hitherto not had to be made before February.