CITY WATER CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 7

CITY WATER CRISIS.

THE SHRINKING STO.:;::; / ] A- VERY HEAVY LOSS AT, NIGHTY j The surface of the water in the re-i] scrvoir yesterday was 29 inches below tho by-wash. Although tho drop from day to j day throughout tho week has-continued,to bo about three inches, soino degree of satisfaction may be extracted from the statement that consumers are really trying to bo moro ooonomical than before. . Tho City .Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) says that this is indicated by tho pressure gauge in his office...Tho. fact may bo placed to tho credit of tho.moral senso of tho community, but at tho samo time, Mr. Morton states that, a .remarkable quantity of water runs off "every'" J liiglit. M'hothor this is duo to'nocturnal hosiligs, or to leaky fittings, or both, tho matter is 0110 which calls for earnest attention. Failing a good fall of rain, tho indications still. aro that tho city's industries will I have .to do. without water-power noxt week. • . • • DRIEST MONTH RECORDED.

A summary of wea,ther,,conditions,during January, published iii tho r 'GaM'tle,'' states that in nearly every part of the North Island tho rainfall has been so low that it,constitutes a record for any month since returns have been generally made. In tho northern parts of tho South Island-: ithe,i<lTyne?s! lias also been most romarkablo; but in tho southern parts -tho rainfa!J ; . r though below thq avcrago overywlfere, IJlia's'. not been so deficient. On the wKolp,''.Jhei:<i".flaii. ) bo no doubt that tho past, mohtli.', haS 'gbiicrally been the driest since tho country- was .-settled,' and as this follows as a. sccpri'd very 'dry. month : in the eastern' 1 p'arts ,: 'of'.'.tho North Island, and in tho- South, tho 'oxpßrienco^i.r'all-the' ; ' more unusual in New Zealand.' The temperature, though subject to considerable' i ! ah'gd, v Hail'a higher moan than usual..i|)„all part?,; ancl tho, barometer was also higher, ; very ; modoratq iiuetuations from .westerly' (lopros-i sions which passed quickly on tho l'Oth, 20th, 23nd, and 30th, witn,.butlilittlQi,'iflfluejice.,'o,ii tho weather. ; ; 7 . EMPTY TANKS.!:;.' • ' THE STRICKEN "SUBURBS'.' Tho lino weather is getting on people's nerves. Hot northerlies, ' cold southerlies, heavy clouds, occasional dew even, but no rain. "It will do Jl|ii\g but' rain," said a perspiring- suburbanite\td hisneighbour, over the foncc:' "Iliaveirt Ti.ad a"| hath for four days," lie exclaimed piteously. "That's nothing," observed the next-door man, pholosophically, "I-haven't indulged in that luxury for nearly a fortnight. Cheer up, old .chap,' thero's "a fino promising-look-ing bank of clouds piling up towards the south." "Oh, yes, of course," snapped-the other, as lie'picked up his bucket and prepared for'his nightjyiitinidge, to. tho local spring. "We get tlmse fine promises every day, don't-we? this weather, that's what I say, ! ' : yid the., wont; off in-a rago. '. , ;■ ' ■ ' Citizens are , ask themselves: Will it Vrain?, . What docs the Meteorological ' Department think? It is to t tliat: rtliisv.important Department bf-VStato^' t has "given'up. thinking. , ! A three .in',Now Zealand is enough tp dejuo'ralise, iidpel'eissTy' and savagely, the weath'ei.' : ;bur-' cau that,ever, existed;;nV'V'V >>• ; , BUCKETS - AND SPRING AVA'tER., 1 Tbe plight of the , city;: with si' Steadilyfalling water .supply.'-frow' its 1 reservoirs, is bad 'enough: but in the suburbs,, .where, the householders' supply - is 'fgpre'seiited by'; 'two' or_ three tanks, einpty.jand; forlbnijj.tllP SitUration'is infinitely -worse.; A representative:of; The Doiiinion mado-the 1 isub-r urbs yesterday, and heard many a tale of woo, v '• ?:»£&!*32 US.- 'fJ72 In Wadestown, the v tanks jirs,.;'empty; and'wero it/not for-tho. •pr > oyideiitia]_ cxi,stence; of one or .two, springs in- «ie tho'epndition of-, this suburb wwild bo most, serious. |Ono resident; stated,^h^,ißprjjlg?. worn, sli.owing signs, owing to tho .exliaustidn of tlieir, spurcps'msupply. , Wadestowit' lfe 'l/eii'if. reduced -to' buolcota and spring watwv.fbr'.thoi^at'^fort- 1 night. _ ; In Karori, tho Borough is. isupply-i ing the itllat; Buburlfwith water from tho South Karol'ilCrCe.k, at the ratp;.of-. Ss. per ; 100 gallons," which works'. out at ~a little over a halfpenny por 'gallon;'-; North-', laud also.'deponds' upqufitliisr/spiiropnpfvsuiv- . ply, hilt a number oft the; residents'prefer,: for drinking purposes:the - water' 'fro'ril ;:tho;, well-known spring in.itrrant>Road..Tho!.scene. "at this spring overv .evoniti'g.ilis.i'Orie to bd romcmborod,.. The oars ,aboufo.tltis;;ti(Ae ,arc; , . freighted with •' • droughtrfltvifcicpn ~itgsidenMi with cans and billies en route for the spring.;. A common necessity induces r a- sympathcticfriondlincss, and the 'burden -qfit]i4 ,dqf^rsi)-;' tion is the misconduct ,of the weathor. . ' .; ~ WATER .arVpßicEf"; • In Kelburne, water-is-also-at-a-pr-ice-.-;-R«-oontly an enterprising, speculator..purchased a big tank, fitted a tap'to'it','hired, a dray,' . filled tho tank in thd"city, and exploited the district with, considerable himself: Ono resident's watei<-'Buijply. hiis !r e6*st li'im sinco Christmas rip ,liebl)ai'r,*!j'. V" Another man, • ' lionio ifor some t'imo,.;(iiui'; a full;water supply iu-iijs' rpur'tanks,'opened his heart and invited.,his istrickeiiiiieighboiir, to" como with his household '-and vliavo - a : bath. Tlioy respondod jiujaniitjqn?lyj -;\'et another, w.liose consisted of seven members; v 'c'ufc'd6w'n;ihc family bath allowaiico to ono bucket per day. Being . tho first to leave the house in the morning - lie was privileged to use tho^ water> first.- The others—Unt why .continue?" * ;

Thero aro 01:0 oi ;U 't\vo -friendly springs about, mostly 111 private! .'properties.'' Ojio gentleman is the fortunate possessor of a beautiful spring of clear mountain water, tho supply from which his .neighbours gladly avail themselves of. vTlio only incoiivenicnc'c about the arrangement 1 is- a'bull dogybutvif tho thirsty ones eomo AwitlC'their' '.buckets boforo the lord of for...the night, his: personal innuendo is "available'in a .possible extremity.-" 'P •> '• ■ A fortunato fmv draw thoir '* supplies! fromtho Kelburno Tram Co 111 p a ny' s sto rn go- ta 11 ks. which aro filled from thq,-cjty jvqtqiv,supßly. A pipo has been Jed for a, .short' tlistarice along the /Upland Roaill aiitl' i-ijiiilonts within tho area tapped-by" this. pipe may havo their tanks filled at a cost which amounts to something like us. per 100!) gallons. t Tho water usod by the Company is registored : hy'jmQtoi' as_ ah " this charge of.-ss. per' ",10p0": iiiproly' covors the cost to ; *: v :'• FOItTUNATE.^SUMI^^'r.':::!; . In Kilbirnio and Brooklyn matters .-are not so serious, as a considerable portioii'bf :tf6th r thoso districts is with tlie city water supply, and thoso people who are not yet connected may .avail,.themselves of-,thV supplies in ? In Miramar the wants _th_6 ( neighbourhood are met by supplie'SJffgm*a' : spring at tho Quarry owned by Mir&mar/''L'M. .Tho, Company, at a cost :po l ,ifeelf of 'Ssi 'per 200 gallons, supplies tlioso-in noed of water, and tho spring is also available to thoso who caro' to do their own cartitij»; •, . The. water difficultyy.'at ' -has. booii solyed by ]),umpfng' sUp : plies'for ,l tlio lake and tho chute from thb', r sca. Tho'- Company also has.a well, a' storago capacity of 6000 gallons'. l, ' The Water-hunger is.ajso acuto at Seatoun. For weeks past supplies havo had to bo carried up to the signal station, Beacon Hill,; and tho tanks of many "of tho houses in tho little seaside resort afu empty. Fortunately for tho residents, there aro a few good well's .in tho vicinity from "which supplies may bo drawn. Many modern. houses' in tho suburbs are fitted with high-pressuro boilers,, tho supplytanks of which are now empty. It is, <>"f. course, impossible to light afiTo'in tho i-'arigo,- ■ as that would ruin' tho boiler.Kerosene, stoves aro being usod for ordinary .cooking purposes, but roasts,"'cakes;' and -pies : aro "off." _ - ■ Meanwhile, as has already been,remarked, it will do anything but rain, ~, ;