WATER!

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 6

WATER!

VVAINUI RESERVOIR SINKING. Tho-weather continues to remain aggressively brilliant to tho despair- of tho cipal officials and tho amazement, of visitors, ■With a biasing sviu absorbing, every indica. tion-of dampvthat:may.,be exposed .to its. searching rays,: arid a reservoir-.stream; , the ■- inflow T from .which is- loss than- tho - quantity ■ demandod by thocity; the canonly be one of 1 Rowing; seriousness that,each ■ passing..summer day accentuates.; : .lt was toported yesterday • that - the. surfaco-. of '.-,the water at- tho Vfainui basin bad> sunk; to _a level fourtoori '. inches below the .by-wash. While the seriousness of tho situation cannot bo denied/' this is not by .any means;-the : worst condition that has'prevailed: at Wainui : ; during recent years.. The summer,'of .1903-4 was a very dry one, and at one stage tho water in tho basin at Wainui .had sunk, to a level 24' inches ' below; tho' by-wash. >.v Mr. .Morton, who arrived in Wellington that year, pointed; out!.'to a.' Dominion representative how -remarkabie, it.-.was, that,the reservoir• was so low then, and yet, after. such a . phenomenally dry spell as we have experienced this summer, together with the fact ' that' Brooklyn,' Rosbneath, and Island . Bay had been- since connected- with the;} city mains, the supply had,; held .out ;so , well. Asked for a reason, tho City Engineer stated ■ that ho attributed it to the. better class';fittings that w'ero. insist-ed -upon,- arid. to. the rigid inspection of the' samb .by the Council's olliccrs.' . . - ';■' - . ' - -

It is rather cheering to ,learn ; that Wainui lias not broken its own record as> yet;- this summor, and it is. dovoutly hoped; that the rain-will como it: is allowed to; do so. :In -' tho; 'meantime;. tho inspection; of . fittings will bo nioro rigid thaii ever, and no latitude will be allowed' tlioso who are discovered to have defcctivo taps, ; ball cocks,, eto. The recent prosecutions for hosing gardens liavo had a salutary'effect.' .-. , the blue hasra from a thousand .bush and ■grass fires in tho country encompassed. tho city yesterday,v completely:■ blotting - out tho flutt'Valley' anil tho ranges:on cither side.