TIMARU WATER SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24501, 26 February 1945, Page 4

TIMARU WATER SUPPLY

BREAKS IN PIPE LINE

« ALARMING POSITION ”

REVEALED

A warning about the alarming position Ke water supply at Timarti was given by the Mayor (Mr A, E. b. Hanan) last evening after breaks caused bythe recent floods g the pipe line which brings water to th He re u e rg V e°d lr all residents to refrain from using water for washing c i;thes, bathing, or" for any other purpose that was not urgent for health reasons “At the present rate of consumption, the water will last about a week, but before the expiry of this time, wm probably drop to a dangerously low he said. “The position will become perilous if there is not enough water to keep the sewerage system m working order.” ~ . . „ From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. yesterday, the level of the water in the reservoir had dropped six inches, and this quantity, said Mr Hanan, was , more than _ the average used in such a period on otner days. This .might mean that some persons were hoarding water,' which he would consider as being -near to a criminal act.” ’

Inspection/of Damaged Pipe Line l»ie Mayor, the chairman of the council’s works committee (Cr. c. e. Thomson), the acting borough engineer (Mr E. Jenkins), and two officers or the Public Works Department, made a tour of inspection of the pipe line to find the breaks on Saturday afternoon and all day yesterday. They saw several breaks, three of which were about nine chains long. ■ It was not possible to say at present how long it would take to repair the breaks, said the Mayor, but it was hoped that pumps would be working in about two days to relieve the posin tion. By pumping, 1,000,000 gallons would be put into the reservoir each day, and the normal daily consumption of water at Tlmaru was' 2,000.000 gallons, said Mr Hanan. He added that citizens should make every endeavour to use less than half their normal dally consumption of water while the shortage was so acute. His party, had made an examination for 18 miles up the pipe line, and bad found at a river crossing, near Purvis’s, where there was a five-chain break, that the concrete piles and fluming had been completely washed away. It was at this break that a pump would probably be operated. There were, other breaks of three to four chains, where the piles and fluming had disappeared, he added.

RESTORING WATER SUPPLIES

ACTION BY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

“The water supply at Timaru is in pretty bad shape and the Public Works Department has undertaken to put it right,’’ said the Minister of Works (the Hon, R. Semple) at Christchurch yes* terday. He added that it was hoped to provide some 'relief early this week. Mr Semple said it might become necessary to ration the use of water in Timaru but it was impossible to say at this stage. The department would be able to go some distance towards restoring the service, possibly by pumping, which would meet the situation until the damaged mains from the intake could be repaired. He said an engineer from Tekapc Was supervising restoration of the Fairlie water supply.

* GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SYMPATHY From Our Own Reporter

TIMARU, February 25. . The Mayor of Timaru (Mr A. E. S. Henan) has received the following telegram from the Governor-General (Sir Cyril Newall) and Lady Newall:— “The Governor-General: and 'Lady Newall are most distressed to learn of the serious damage and loss caused by recent floods in thl? district. Their' Excellencies are relieved to learn that there has been no loss of life. They send their sincere sympathy, to all those who have suffered, : and their best wishes for the future.”

Similar messages have been received “Om the Governor-General and Lady Newall by the chairman, of the Geraldine County Council (Mr K. Mackenzie) .the Mayor of Geraldine (Mr D. C, McKechme), and the Mayor of Temuka (Mr G. Hams). .

HELP FOR FLOOD

SUFFERERS

OFFICIAL VISITS SOUTH CANTERBURY

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO BE ENSURED

The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. Bv Roberts). the superintendent of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture (Mr J. W. Smith), the Commissioner of Supply (Mr F. R., Picot), and Mr W. R. Hart,, of the Treasury, have arrived in South Canterbury to' arrange for Government assistance for those who suffered heavy loss in the flood last week. A representative of the head office of the State Adyances Corporation is expected to join the official party soon. Mr Roberts is making his headquarters at Timaru. On Saturday he visited Temuka with the Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple) to discuss the financial assistance the Government should give. Mr Picot is concerned with ensuring that adequate supplies are available to the districts which have suffered heavily. - Messrs J. Acland, M.P.. Temuka. and W. H. Gillespie, M.P., Hurunui, who were in Wellington last week on Parliamentary business, returned on Saturday morning and conferred with Mr Semple at Christchurch. Mr Acland left for the south with the Ministerial party and remained with them throughout their inspections. *