ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1921, Page 7

ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT.

GROWTH OF THE SERVICES. EFFECT OF THE DRY SPELL. Reporting to the New Plymouth Borough Council, the electrical engineer(Mr. R. H. Bartley), states:— The applications received during the month for the supply number 61; the connections made are 26, and 8 additions have been made to existing installations. The strain on the plant during; the month, has been considerable, and coupled to this we have had to contend with, an exceptionally low river; in fact a lower river than we have ever experienced before. Gaugings have been taken frequently since the dry spell set in, and full particulars will be furnished in a special report to follow. The figure taken by us as representing minimum river was 150 cusecs. This has now been reduced to 118 cusecs. A good deal of work has been done on the Inglewood transmission line, and the erection of the whole of the poles should be completed in a few days’ time. This work will then have to stand 'until the insulators arrive. I had . advice some time back that these were shipped. but this is all we know or them. A quantity of switch gear, required for j the change over to three phase, is to ; hand, and a start has been made with this work. Again progress will be hampered, as the gear is not complete, and our conditions demand that it be erected in a set order. A complete record of all installations connected to the supply is being made, and each installation inspected and tested in readiness for the change. This work will take some time to complete, and it is anticipated that a good many repairs and adjustments will be called for. It is, however, absolutely necessary, and will be a most valuable and useful record for the Department.