PLANS FOR EMERGENCY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 June 1939, Page 4

PLANS FOR EMERGENCY

ACTION IN MASTERTON. PUMPING PLANT FOR WATER SUPPLY. Steps are being taken in Masterton to set up an organisation to become operative in the event of an emergency, whether from natural or other causes. Drawing attention to the fact that provision had been made in the Masterton Borough Council estimates this year for an emergency pumping and chlorination plant, the Mayor, Mi - T. Jordan, stated this morning that this was - the first practical step towards provision to meet any sudden emergency, whether from natural causes or otherwise, in connection with the water supply. Responsible officers of the council, he said, had in hand the preparation of a scheme making complete provision to meet such an emergency and to deal with such matters as transport, public utilities, fire protection, public hygiene, hospitals and supplies. They were arriving at setting up a separate committee to take in hand and be responsible for each of these several services and items.

This followed, said Mr Jordan,, from the Government’s action in setting up an Emergency Precautions Committee, which had been in existence for three years and had produced a very valuable draft emergency precautions scheme for the guidance of local bodies throughout New Zealand, much of which was based on recent experiences in New Zealand arising out of the Na-pier-Hastings earthquake and fire and also out of the flood in the Hawkes Bay district. The experiences of local bodies in those areas had been carefully recorded and had served as a very valuable basis for the Emergency Committee in its work.

The pumping plant will make it possible to pump water into the mains from a river in the event of a failure of the usual source of supply.