WATER SUPPLY FAILS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 100, 22 January 1926, Page 10

WATER SUPPLY FAILS

SEATOUN RESIDENTS ALARMED

LOCAL SERVICE RESERVOIR DRY “Do yon know we haven’t had any water here all day, and are becoming desperate. The water went off on Tuesday evening for some hours; it was off from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Wed. nesday, and to-day we have had none at all, and it’s becoming very serious.’’

The foregoing statement came over Tun Dominion office telephone yesterday afternoon from a well-known and thoroughly exasperated resident of Seatoun, who was genuinely perturbed at the fact that the taps of the district refused to yield even a drop of water, not even enough for drinking purposes. This on two of the hottest days experienced this summer made the deprivation most serious, as not only was high pressure water not available for household purposes, but none was available for lavatory sluicing. The temporary deprivation on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings was borne with fortitude, but feeling in Seatoun ran high yesterday morning when it was found that the taps were dry. Seatoun township and the bays and a portion of Seatoun Heights arg served with water from a service reservoir situated about 200 feet below the highest point on the hills at the back of Seatoun, which basin is filled during the night hours by electric pumps, which draw upon the ordinary mains on the Aliramar flat. This, as a rule, acts well enough to supply the needs of the district, but the number of times this week on which the reservoir lias been drained dry has caused a good deal of worry and inconvenience. The Mayor (Air. C. J. B. Norwood) stated in reply to questions that tlie trouble was apparently mainly due to the Gas Company (whose works are at Miramar) having made an extraordinary demand on tlie supply available to Aliramar and Seatoun. A special connection was being made to relieve the drain on the service reservoir, and he anticipated that relief would be afforded within a few hours. Water carts had been dispatched to Seatoun to relieve immediate necessities.

SEATOUN STILL SHORT OF WATER RELIEF EXPECTED THIS MORNING Tub Dominion office was inundated with telephone rings last night from Seatoun, asking if something could not be done to relieve the water famine which existed. The Mayor (Air. C. J. B. Norwood) informed a Dominion reporter at 11 o’clock last night that the shortage at Aliramar had been relieved early last night. The position at Seatoun, he explained, was more serious, as the heavy demands made by the Wellington Gas Company had emptied the tank, and this would not be filled again until this morning. Air. Norwood said he had instructed the City Council water carts to give as much relief as possible at Seatoun, and had also instructed the tramway water-carts to afford what relief thev could. The householders who had hot-water systems at Seatoun were able to carry on yesterday by using the water steadily, but those who had not such systems installed had been in a serious plight. The position had been most acute at Karaka Bay. Tlie Mayor stated that steps would be taken to prevent any such serious draw-off as had taken place yesterday, and a recurrence of such a water famine at Seatoun wou’d not be likely to occur.