STILL SERIOUS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 109, 10 May 1943, Page 4

STILL SERIOUS

WATER EMERGENCY SLIGHT HELP FROM RAIN Showery weather over the weekend has temporarily increased the volume of flow of the main streams in the Waitakere'Ranges, but unless there is considerably more rain the flow will quickly decrease. The Huia, Waitakere and upper Nihotupu dams have been empty since Saturday, and in the main Nihotupu dam the amount in storage this morning was 6,500,000 gallons. The average daily consumption last week was 13,000,000 gallons, an amount reduced during the week-end through lightening of the industrial load. Rain gauges in the Waitakere catchment areas, which are read weekly, show that the rain of the past few days has been of a local nature. The Nihotupu gauge for the past week showed one and a half inches, and the Waitakere dam gauge three-quarter inch. City officials are anxiously watching the water situation, and emergency plans are almost completed. Stand-pipes have been installed at higher points in the city and suburbs, but will not be used unless the situation bacomes more serious. As an economy measure, supplies to work hydraulic lifts have been stopped. This has caused inconvenience to a number of city firms. "The position is just as difficult as ever," said the city waterworks engineer, Mr. Mead, this morning. He added that so far water had not been cut off from any district, but there was still urgent need for the public to economise in every direction. Increased Flow The chairman of the works committee of the City Council, Mr. Bailey, said the position was still serious. The public was asked to obey instructions. There could be no let-up for a considerable time, irrespective of the weather. Mr. Bailey said that the rain had increased the flow of the streams from between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 gallons, to 6,000,000 gallons. From all supplies at the moment a little over 9,000,000 gallons was available to meet the draw off. If showers continued through the week the position would improve, but the margin at the moment was a narrow one. , „. The chairman said that the City Council was grateful to consumers who had economised in the use of water, and to the local bodies who had given assistance. Yesterday a temporary pumping plant was installed in the Lower Nihotupu Valley at the point where the Huia pipeline crosses, and it is expected that 400,000 gallons will be obtained daily from this source. Many residents collected rain water yesterday by placing cans or tubs beneath downpipes. In some instances people have facilities for storing rain water, but the average household depends solely on the city supply. Showers, brought at intervals by a strong south-westerly wind, were a feature of the weather in Auckland over the week-end, and conditions were bleak. The rainfall for the 24 hours period, ending at 9 o'clock this morning, was .03 inches, making a total of .56 inches for the month. Rain has been recorded on seven days.