FACING A WATER FAMINE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4800, 19 January 1925, Page 3

FACING A WATER FAMINE

SYDNEY'S “ALARMING POSITION." ONLY SEVEN MONTHS’ SUPPLY. The water storage has become so low us to be officially described “somewhat alarming.” The depleted, supply can last seven months at most, and is being drawn from every day iTom Satarack while dry weather continues, says the “Sydney Daily Telecraph.”

It is suggested that plans should be made tor- putting down pumping machinery for pumping water from the Nepean River, or some other stream, into the board’s reservoirs.

Mr I W. Keele, a member of the board, who was its president a few years ago, has submitted charts to the board showing the' gravity of the position.

It is not beyond tlie bounds of possibility that Sydney may be in the unenviable position of seeing water rot’culated under very strict restrictions. All depends upon what rains may fall on the catchment area during the next few weeks or months.

If the board should decide to enforce restrictions it must now attribute that action to a sheer shortage of water, and not to consumers using excess water for gardening purposes or because of any shortage on the highlands, as there has not been a single shortage so far this summer. QUANTITIES STORED. Cataract reservoir has a storage at present of only 9191 million gallons, while there is in Prospect 4004 million. Cordeaux has 540 million, and Avon 1000 million, making the total storage 14,735 million gallons. In addition, Manly reservoir holds 160 million gallons. But even at the worst, all this water cannot be drawn, as a quantity will be considered unfit tor consumption. The fact is that Cataract, which has a holding capacity of 20,743 million gallons, is more than half empty. The consumption in July, August, September, and October this year was in excess of that for the corresponding month last year, but the daily average last November was 16.6 per cent, lower than for November, 1923. This was due to continuous small rainfalls, which, while beneficial to gardens, was valueless so far as replying the storage. Figures show a large paucity in fainafll. 42.60 inches having been recorded for the year ended September 30. 1924, as against 56.80 inches *for the preceding year, or 25 per cent, less. The winter rains of 1924 were practically valueless so far ae the repletion of storage was concerned. A TECHNICAL REPORT. The members of the Water; Board have been, "handed a report drawn up by the assistant engineer for water maintenance. The level of the water in Cataract, this report states, is lower than it has been since October, 1916. It shows that the -draw-off since November, 1922, hajs been at the rate of 32.7 million gallons daily. “To have Cataract storage depleted by half one year after it has been full,” says the report, “may indicate a serious position. The same depletion at the end of five years’ dry ther might be regarded with comparative equanimity, as the driest period on record, 1904-11, was at its worst at the end of five and a half years. If provision ip made for a scries of years as dry as the years 1904-11, commencing from the date when Cataract dam was last full (November, 1922), and allowing a reserve at the worst of that period to cover unprecedented conditions, the storage position will have been put on a scientific basis. The board cannot guarantee that conditions in the immediate future will not be as bad as those that have occurred in the past, and ib view of the issue involved.it is submitted that the board should keep itself in a position to meet such conditions.” REPAIRS TO TAPS. For the year ended December 31 last 75,777 house inspections were made, and the inspectors directed repairs to be, made in 76'54 cases, or 9.3 ner cent. Re-inspections occasioned by these noticed totalled 5369, and in only 8 per cent, of the cases was the issue of a final notice necessary.