FUTURE NEEDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 May 1940, Page 3

FUTURE NEEDS

WAIRARAPA POWER BOARD EXPANSION OF BUSINESS. ENGINEER'S ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the chief engineer (Mr H. B. Keenan), states inter alia: “The results of the past year show a considerable expansion to the board’s business and reticulated area. Every department has worked at high pressure and the calls upon the stall have been heavy. As usual, the response was excellent; in fact, I know that m very many cases the stall' has worked many hours of overtime unknown to anyone, to give service to the consumers. I am pleased to be able to assure you that this spirit has increased since the war began and you can rely on the staff to meet any emergency or war effort they may be called upon to make.

“According to the Electric Supply Regulations, a fence owner is responsible for the earthing of fences on his property. The board is requested to show the fence owner how to do this work. Up to the present we have delivered or posted over 1000 notices giving detailed instruction and drawings showing the methods of getting and keeping proper earth connections. We have personally interviewed many fence owners. The response to our requests is indeed disappointing, as approximately only 5 per cent of the fences have been earthed. However, the board has done and is still doing its duty in taking every precaution necessary by erecting and maintaining its lines in a high standard and safe condition, by installing relays to automatically cut off the supply should a line break and fall to earth, by having a staff available to immediately rectify any trouble and by notifying fence owners how to earth fences. While we have been fortunately free from fatal accidents from this source, in the Wairarapa district, there is a decided danger where a live line makes contact with an unearthed fence. -The immediate and future requirements which will require our attention within the next ten years are as follow;—(a) The installation of underground cables and outdoor switchgear at the second point of supply at Moroa. for the Southern Area; (b) Voltage regulation and power factor correction in many parts of the district. This is linked up with load building and is receiving attention progressively; <c) The enlargement of certain main and distribution sub-stations and reticulation. This also, is being carried out with the growth of load; (d) Erection of certain loop lines to give additional security and meet heavier loading to certain groups of consumers, particularly in the northern area; (e) The installation of voltage regulators and increase in transformers and switching equipment, Masterton Sub-station; (f) Replacing of some of the 3000-volt cables with 11.000-volts, Masterton Borough: (g) Enlargement of some sub-main lines to meet heavier loading and to serve as main lines; (h) Replacements of depreciated poles, switchgear, sub-stations and general plant to gain advancement in technique. This is linked up with the matters of obsolescence of present-day equipment; (i) The demand by public opinion for the placing of cables,and sub-stations underground; (j) The reticulation of the East Coast section of the Board’s district.”