WATER SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 6

WATER SUPPLY

♦ —~ RESTRICTED USE FOR GARDENS LYTTELTON AND HEATHCOTE VALLEY Because of the continued drought and the consequent drain on the reservoir supplying Lyttelton and the Heathcote Valley with water, the Heathcote County Council has prohibited the use of this supply for garden purposes in the Heathcote Valley. A similar prohibition has already been imposed by the Lyttelton Borough Council for its own area, and the county council, drawing its water for the Heathcote Valley from the sama supply, felt that the restriction should apply to the whole prea served by . the reservoir.

Householders in the borough and the county are being notified that the usp of water for gardens will have _ to' cease until such time as th£ r supply is adequate for the resumption. of ■ the ordinary allowances. The pumps r ;'fir the reservoir which supplies ■ both Lyttelton and the Heathcote"? Vsil&y. have been kept going day anil night in an attempt' to cope with ■ an excessive demand. On Thursday 390,000 gallons were pumped into "the reservoir. and 440.000 gallons were used. Cashmere Not Affected In the Cashmere riding of the Heathcote County there is less danger o1 the gardens being deprived of water, provided householders are reasonably prudent. The riding has two .wells each providing 250 gallons a minute,' and another supplying 750 gallons a minute, to draw from, the water being pumped into the main supply at 450 gallons a minute.

There is a possibility, if the heat continues, that the Sumner Borough Council also will have to prohibit thi use of water for gardens. On Thursday 425,000 gallons were used by 3800 houses—a record for seven years. The Waimairi and Paparua countie# and the Riccarton and New Brighton boroughs depend on artesian wells fof their supply of water. These have not so far been affected by the dry weather.

In the Christchurch City Council'! area on Thursday 5,593,400 gallons of water were used. A shortage of watefe is not anticipated, but precautions are being taken to see that water is naj wasted. Warnings have been gives by the council's inspectors where watef was found to be used extravagantly.^