CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23351, 10 June 1941, Page 7

CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

“Rather Critical Stage” WORKS COMMITTEE’S REPORT “The city water supply is in rather a critical stage; if it were not for the war an extensive construction programme would be strongly recommended.” said the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) reporting as chairman of the water supply and works committee to the City Council last evening. The report, which was prepared to give information to new councillors, said that the present maximum consumption of water was approximately 8,000,000 galjons t day. Water was derived from suction tanks filled by artesian wells, and was pumped directly into the reticulation, the overflow going to the reservoir or, when not enough pumping was being done, the amount required was drawn from the reservoir, situated upon Cashmere Hills with a. capacity of 1 1-3 million gallons. , , The reservoir was really inadequate in size, and the former committee had agreed upon the necessity of building a new reservoir upon Huntsbury Hill, where the City Council owned the necessary property for that purpose. No commitments, as far as the erection of the reservoir was concerned, had yet been decided on or entered upon. Pumping Equipment The report gave details of the pumping stations and their capacities. It said that all the city pumping was normally carried out by electrically driven pumping sets, and the existing stand-by pumping set at the main station was so inadequate and had reached such a stage in its life that the former council ordered a new stand-by pumping set driven by an oil engine. Efforts had been made to obtain a stand-by pumping set, but no suitable plant was available at a reasonable price, and the council had purchased three trailer -sets. These sets could be transferred from one station to another and could be used in' emergency by the Fire Brigade. There was a possibility that a Government subsidy could be obtained on the purchase of these sets through the Emergency Precautions Scheme. The necessary application had been made to the Minister for National Service. The Averill street pumping equipment had just arrived and its ‘installation was being carried out now.