The Christchurch Watersupply.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XVI, Issue 1639, 30 March 1895, Page 3

The Christchurch Watersupply.

Some information has been furnished by a member of tbe City Council relative to the reported diminution oE tbe supply from tbe deep stratum artesian wells of Christchurch. Tbe diminished flow from tbe wells is due simply to their great and constantly increasing number, and to tbe fact that there is enormous waste. The leading well-sinkers hare something to say on the question. One of them put the number of first stratum wells m the Christchurch district at about seren thousand, aad another states that ''there are about ten thousand first stratum wells m and around Christ church." The deep stratum wells are estimated at three hundred. And still tbe tapping of tbe underground reservoirs continues ''the number of wells going down aver-* ages about one or one and a half per day to the first stratum, and one per week to the second stratum." Now, imagine all these wells constantly ratto waste, aa most of them do, and it is easy to accept a calculation made by Mr Danks. Speaking on a basis of 7000 first stratum wells, he says :—

" Tbe average overflow from each is 2gal per minute. That would give 120 gal each per hoar, or an aggregate for the whole number of 20,160,000 gal per day, a supply that far exceeds that of any great city m the world. If the supply were conserved f to, say, 30^1 pe>- day for each inhabitant, the quantity supplied m Melbourne, a total of 1,500,000 gal would be required, as there is, roughly speaking, a population of 50,000 m the city and suburbs. As against that amount of water, whioh is an ample supply, no less than 2O;O6O-OOOgal are being used or wasted daily," Here we have the evil ..forcibly stated, and the necessity for some system of conservation ; for unless the present woeful waste is severely cheoked, the time, must come when none of the wells will give a surface flow. — Star.