POSITION GRAVE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21922, 17 January 1946, Page 6

POSITION GRAVE

WATER SHORTAGE ECONOMY ESSENTIAL MAXIMUM PUMPING The source of Gisborne’s water supply is rapidly drying up and the town is facing a grave position as day follows day attd no relief comes. In all this difficult season Ihe shortage has not been so acute as it is to-day, and the municipal authorities are perturbed at the prospects of being unable to continue a reasonable supply. ‘The water supply position has become extremely acute and we must ask residents to conserve to the absolute maximum as much water as they possibly can, and what they use should be for only really essential purposes,” stated the town clerk, Mr. W. M. Jenkins, this morning. The pumping station is working to the limit of its capacity in an endeavour to keep the pressure up, but even this is inadequate to meet the needs. Two shifts are being worked now, which means that the daily pumping runs into about 16 hours.

The creek at Mangapoike is drying up with alarming rapidity and until rain does come there is nothing the public can do but to sav e and do still more saving, Mr. Jenkins stated. This applies not only lo residential users, but also for industrial consumers, who must co-operate with the authorities if the position is to be overcome. The shortage is more acute now than it has been since 1943, which was considered a particularly bad year. All water for drinking purposes should be boiled first, the Department of Health recommends.