Shortage Of Water May Curtail Camp

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30641, 6 January 1965, Page 1

Shortage Of Water May Curtail Camp

An acute shortage of fresh water on Ripa Island may cause an early abandonment of the Navy League’s sea cadet training camp. Yesterday only three or four inches of water covered the bottom of the island’s 100,000-gallon reservoir.

At the present rate of consumption—about 800 gallons a day—and if there is no rain, the reservoir will be dry by Friday. Every effort is being made to conserve every drop of fresh water. Sea water is being used to flush the lavatories, and cadets yesterday were told to take soap and flannel when they went swimming.

Thirty crates of soft drink were taken to the island by special launch in the afternoon in an attempt to quench 103 thirsty throats. Bottled soft drink has been purposely kept away from the island in the past because of the danger of broken glass. Four thousand gallons of water for the island was carried on a truck by the Royal New Zealand Army Mechanical Engineers last week. The truck was able to get across hillside paddocks opposite the island, and the water was pumped into the reservoir through long hoses. However, this vehicle is not now available to the sea cadets, as it is being used at Tekapo.

The camp’s commanding officer (Lieutenant-Command-er M. W. Murnane) spent all day in Christchurch yesterday. endeavouring to solve the problem. Just before he boarded a launch to return to the island last evening, he told a reporter that the position was as grim as ever.

Lieutenant-Commander Murnane said that the Navy League would have no option but to break camp earlier than scheduled if water could not be obtained.

He said he would today get in touch with the Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr J. B. Collett) to see whether the council could assist.

The shortage on the island is made worse by the high evaporation rate in the reservoir—estimated at 150 gallons a day.

Mr Collett late last evening received through the signal tower an official request from Lieutenant-Commander Murnane for council assistance.

Mr Collett said the Navy League would be welcome to draw water from the council’s mains at Diamond Harbour. The big problem, however, would be in transporting the water from Diamond Harbour through Purau to the road on the mainland above Ripa Island. Mr Collett said he would consult the borough engineer (Mr F. Davidson) this morning to see whether the council could assist in providing transport for the water. The assistance of the Diamond Harbour Volunteer Fire Brigade may be called for to pump the water across to the island.