PUMPING BY ELECTRICITY.

Shannon News, 22 November 1929, Page 4

PUMPING BY ELECTRICITY.

NO REDUCTION OF COST TO MAKERUA DRAINAGE BOARD.

REMEDY MAY YET BE FOUND

A report was presented to the Power Board on Tuesday by the Finance Committee on the question of the charges to the Makerua Drainage Board for power supplied for pumping. “The Drainage Board has a 16 h.p. motor for pumping work which works automatically whenever the water rises to a certain level, ’ ’ stated the report. ‘ ‘ Thus the pump may work at any time, and if it should happen to be working during the peak-load half-hour for the quarter (which is not at all unlikely) the cost to the Board would bo very serious. The motor, when running at full capacity, takes a load of 20 kilowatts of electricity, which would cost the Board over £4O per quarter if the power came on the peak load. The prices charged to the Drainage Board are: —2d for the first 3000 units per quarter,’lfd for all over 3000; minimum charge £6 per quarter. During the ten quarterly periods the Drainage Board lias paid, the minimum charge of £6 upon three occasions. The highest payment for any quarter was £54 15s 3d, and the average for the ten quarters has been £2l 11s 2d. In view of the risk to the Power Board of losing money on the present rates, the Committee could not see its way clear to recommend any reduction. If in the future some way can be devised or some arrangement made to restrict the hours of pumping so as to avoid the Power Board’s peak load, the rates could undoubtedly be reduced.’’ The Chairman (Mr Monk) stated that the Drainage Board had raised the-question of the charges for pumping power. The pump was started automatically; when the Tokomaru River rose to a certain level, it , shut a floodgate and operated the switch. . It was quite likely that at times, during the ten quarterly periods, the consumption of current had come on the peax load. On the other hand it was probable that when the Drainage Board paid the minimum there was no pumping done. Suggestions had been made in the direction of restricted hours and a smaller pump. As, soon as the floodgate closed, the water accumulated very quickly. Whether a temporary submersion would have any bad effect on flax country, he could not say, but probably it;would not. It would not be good for grazing land, however. The Committee were sorry that they could not make any recommendation,. but they had to protect the Board’s interests.

Mr Seifert said that the, Drainage Board did not want to pay more for power if they could avoid doing so. It the pump were larger and of a different pattern, it would do the pumping at night, and in that case he thought that the Drainage Board could be given the power at Id per unit, provided tha t they kept to a night load. Mr Vincent: They could not take a night load only? Mr Seifert: This water comes from the mountains; it is not a question of taking rainwater merely. The floods come down very quickly at times. As far as I could see, 300 acres of the plains are taking water from 2000 acres of the hills.

The secretary (Mr Goldsmith) stated that- there had been a proposal to the Drainage Board to confine the pumping to the afternoon and night, but they did not seem to favour that; they were afraid that the motor might be wanted in the morning. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr Bryant, the report was adopted.