M.E.D. AREA

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26410, 2 May 1951, Page 8

M.E.D. AREA

CABLE FAULT AT TIME OF CUT

By accident parts of Papanui and Merivale bore the brunt of the power cut last evening. The central area of the city was scheduled to carry any cut. with Papanui and Merivale as second choice, but a few minutes before the Statr Hydro-e’ectric Department asked the Municipal Electricity Department to reduce load a cable fault developed in Papanui and areas in these districts would have been without power in any case. The result ’ was that the cut in the central area was very much less severe than would otherwise have been th° case.

Mr G. H. Battersby (acting-engineer manager of the M.E.D.) said last evening that in fairness to residents in Papanui and Merivale. who were cut off by accident last evening, if there was any cut to-day they would not be expected to bear it The M.E.D. received instructions to reduce load at 5.23 p.m., but at 5.10 p.m. the cable supplying Papanui broke down. The areas affected by the break included part of Merivale around Winchester street, and parts of Papanui around the intersection of Office and' Papanui roads and about Mays road. For a few minutes north Pananui was also cut off.

The restoration of the compulsory cuts in the central area began slightly before 6 p.m., and was completed shortly after 6.13 p.m., bv which time all consumers affected by the cable break again had power. Mr Battersby said the cable that had been damaged had had to take a great deal of stra : n last week, when power had been switched on and off during the emergency He said the fault was somewhere between the Winchester street sub-sta*ion and the west end of Office road. Men wou’d work all night to make repairs, and it was hoped that the job would be completed by this evening.