THE HOSE PROHIBITED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 293, 8 December 1923, Page 11

THE HOSE PROHIBITED.

DURING THE PRESENT SUMMER. ENORMOUS CONSUMPTION INCKEASE. The use of hoses has been prohibited by tne City Council until further notice. This decision was reached at a special meeting of the Council yesterday in view of the abnormal use of water from the city mains in the past week or ten days. Previous to the present summer the greatest hot weather demand had been til million gallons daily, and last month the demand reached 6* millions, while it was anticipated that it would rise to a little over 7 millions. But the consumption went up so rapidly this month that on one day it exceeded 8 million gallons, which is the capacity of the Service main to the city. The area taking the most water was Remuera, where the consumption per capita rose to 100 ,_lons a day, as against C 8 gallons elsewhere, and this extraordinary draw on the supply led the engineer, Mr. J. Carlaw, to the belief that a leak had developed. As the search so far, however, has failed to find any leak, the assumption now is that with the dry, hot weather people with garden hoses, and the Remuera area is well endowed with such gardens, are using them freely for the salvation of their flowers and garden truck. The knowledge that the bier Waitakere impounding dam is now between the city and any water shortage has evidently caused a great many users to throw economy precautions to the wind*. The result is that in one bound, so to speak, the summer consumption has jumped nearly 2,000.000 gallons per diem—a position which was never contemplated by the Council. With the present pipe line it cannot supp.y more than 8,000.000 gallons as a maximum, so that a cut is imperative. ( Temporary Economy Necessary. "This morning." said the Mayor in discussing the situation, "it was ascertained that the consumption yesterday was gallons. But obviously the council's decision regarding the prohibition of hoses was not known, and had not therefore taken any effect. All hoses are now prohibited until further notice, as it is absolutely impossible to supply a demand which the day before yesterday was approaching nine million gallons. " Nothing which the council could do or anybody else for this summer can provide 9,000,000 gallons for the city. The position, therefore, means that if the dry weather continues consumers must introduce restrictions as requested by the council, both in their own and in the common interest. If this is reasonably observed the consumption can bee ut down to 7. million gallons, which can be easily met. The whole position was fully explained in my address at the Town Hall last month, and nothing more can be added except to tell the ratepayers the simple fact —that the extraordinary spell of dry weather has created an abnormal demand, and of a character which for many years has not been experienced. With the growth of population the new pipe line, whicli is part of the proposals for the extension now to be put in hand, appears to be overdue, in face of the abnormal conditions we are now experiencing. But having regard to all the circumstances, and to the fact that from time to time the position has been made quite clear, it can be claimed that tbe council has done all that could reasonably be expected, particfflarly wben all" the difficulties in connection with the big Nihotupu work are considered, and also the difficulties in connection with the last loan poll. The council ha 3 not been neglectful of its obligations. Its policy is to be ahead of the demand, which it will quickly achieve, and thus enable the citizens to have an unrestricted and free use of all the water they need. If during the present period there is a response to the exigencies of the situation as now set out by the council, there will be no further trouble or inconvenience. In any case all it means is a restriction of a necessary character of water for outdoor uses for the present summer only."