LAKE COLERIDGE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20027, 8 September 1930, Page 10

LAKE COLERIDGE.

SITUATION IS STILL CRITICAL. ECONOMIES insufficient. "While such economies as have been made by consumers are, in themselves, satisfactory, and duly acknowledged with gratitude by the Department, they are unfortunately, insufficient to hold the' balance of the level of Lake Coleridge," said the District Electrical Engineer (Mr R. G. Mac Gibbon), to a reporter of The Press on Saturday, "if the lake is to bo maintained at its present level until a fall of rain, the public must make a more generous response. I must emphasise definitely that further efforts must bo made to avert the impending crisis." The Engineer" warmly acknowledged the efforts of consumers as shown in the following comparative table of the demands on the Coleridgo power-house during the last three wocks. Units. Friday, August 22nd .. 419,610 Friday, August 20th _ .. *82,230 Friday, September sth .. 304,580 Saturday, August 23rd .. 373,900 Saturday, August SOtli .. 348,310 Saturday, September 6tli „. 325,960 Economies Not Enough. The figures in each case are for the 24 hours ending- at midnight. Besides the effect of economies, tliey represent the normal fall in demand that comes at the beginning of spring. The reduction in each case over the first week was caused by the operation of the Christchurcb Tramway Board's standby plant and the discontinuance of electric heating for tho Municipal Baths. It showed only a very small saving through tho public economies made at Mr Mac Gibbon's first appeal. The difference between the figures for Friday, August 29th, and Friday, September sth, and between those for Saturday, August aOth, and Saturday, September 6th, represented actually the economies made by consumers, and by the 18 consuming authorities which the Department supplies from Lake Coleridge. "These econ-. omies are very welcome,' but they are not enough," said Mr Mac Gibbon. "Although Friday, under normal conditions, makes the heaviest demand on the powerhouse and on the lake, in the last week it shows actually the lowest output of tho week. It shows tbe people are responding, but they must make a further response so that we can estab lish a balance between tho inflow and the outflow at tho Lake, and maintain that until tbe seasonal rain comes." While many assumed that the # all of rain in Ohristchurch on Saturday would also bring an improvement in the level of Lake Coleridge, actually a southwest storm has little effect on that watershed. The north-west gale alone brings rain in sufficient volume tu cause any improvement, although it was mentioned by Mr Mac Gibbon that the sou'wester will increase the flow of the Acheron river, rising from Lake -Lyndon, when that is diverted. During the last week the fall of rain in the. catchment area of Lake Coleridgo has been negligible. No rainfall or inflow figures are yet being issued l>y tho - Department. ; Use of Stand-by Plants. As was mentioned in The Pbem on Saturday, three of the focal bodies supplied by the Department now havo stand-bv platots in operation. They are tho Christchurch Trawtfav. Board,*'t lie Banks Peninsula Power, Board, and tho Waitaki Power Board. At a meeting this afternoon, the Electricity Committee of the Cliristchurch City Council will consider bringing into operation the plant at the Destructor, and the suction gas pumping plant at Cashmere. Several firms in tne City have been asked by Mr Mac Gibbon to use their own plants where that is possible. "So far, the Department has not expressed any opinion whether payment should be made for the use of standbv plants." said Mr Mac Gibbon. ''ln the case of the Tramway Board, we have to pay under contract for the nower generated bv pteani. It is entirely a matter of public spirit for the owners of the plants whether they will greatlv assist the Department at littlo expense or whether thev will Bimplv ignore its appeal. If all the standby plants available were put int* oneration there would be a considerable lessening of the lopd on the powerhouse. and a bf»'«nce between tbe inlow and tbe outflow at tbe lake he established. Jf these plants wer9 brought into operation only for one weofc. tbfi assistance would bo very valuable." Diversion of Acheron. To-day or to-morrow, 60 workmen will be sent bj[ the/ Department to begin the diversion of the Acheron into Lake Coleridge. These men have alreadv been selected, and are awaiting ♦be word to go, the District Public Works Engineer (Mr F. Lanftbeln) tdld a reporter of The The 10 men now ac the site of the diversion are well ahead with tbe work of erecting tho camp, althouah thev were hindered by bad weather last week. Little Rain at Coleridge. Heavy snow fell at Lake Coleridge yesterday, but no information was available as to its eifect upon tho water-level in the lake supplying the pip© lines to the power station. The Malvein Hills were thickly coated with snow, but Hororata. Half-wav between Christchurcb , and Lake Coleridge experienced little rain only *jv points being recorded. Mr Macr Gibbon stated that tho snow and rain would havo no effect upoii the lake.