Westport Water Supply

Grey River Argus, 21 March 1947, Page 8

Westport Water Supply

The westport Borough Council is perturbed over the situation of people using water indiscriminately for the hosing of lawns and gardens in spite of repeated appeals l for the co-opera-tion of the public during the present dry spell, and the Mayor (Mr J. M. Robertson, and the chairman of the water committee (Mr J. Kilkenny), will meet departmental officers this morning to consider what further steps may be taken to enforce the restrictions already applied. Yesterday morning, the Mayor (Mr J. M. Robertson), Cr. Kilkenny (chairman Waterworks Committee), the Town Clerk (Mr P. Morgan), and other borough officials, including Mr McNally (Gas Works manager), who is in charge of the water supply from the borough boundary to town, and Mr Erskine (in charge from the reservoir to the boundary), visited the reservoir, Giles Creek, and adjacent supplies. It appears that there is a surprisingly large quantity of water still entering the reservoir, but the cause of anxiety is due to insufficient storage room after so long a period of dry weather. It must be remembered that since the last prolonged dry spell, which was about five or six years ago, there are at least a hundred new houses in Westport, all draining the water supply. The borough authorities consider that by reducing pressure still more, namely between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and 5 p.m. till 2 a.m., a reserve of water will be built up, thus ensuring that in the event of more dry weather a sufficient supply for all domestic needs, as well as fire fighting and sewerage, will be available. The public is being appealed to for assistance by co-operating with the Borough Council in an effort to conserve the water supply.