ARTESIAN WATERSUPPLY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11888, 11 May 1899, Page 5

ARTESIAN WATERSUPPLY.

CAPTAIN HUTTON'S OBSERVATIONS,

It will be remembered that in 1894 Captain Hutton, curator of the Museum, commenced a series of observations concerning the supply of artesian water in Christchurch. He fitted two wells, one shallow, the other to the second stratum, with glass gauges, and measured the rise or fall each day throughout the year. Some interest was excited at the time, and as the idea was generally held that the second stratum water was connected in some way with the Waimakariri river, Captain Hutton also kept a record of the rise and fall of the river. He found, as is already known, that there was no apparent connection between the river and the source of the Christchurch water-supply. Although public interest in the observations has to a great extent died out, Captain Hutton has continued to keep the records, and yesterday he courteously supplied a representative of the " Lyttelton Times" with the readings for the month of May in each year. The following table shows the average height above the sur-

face of the ground of the water in each of the wells-.

There has thus been an average fall of 2.4 in a year in the shallow well, and of 5.8 m a year in the deep well. The greatest fall took place between May, 1896, and May, 1898, the shallow well falling off 9in and the' deep well Ift Bin. During that period a very large number of new wells were sunk, especially to the lower stratum. Most new wells are deep ones, and the falling off is therefore much more marked ] in the readings of the second column of the table than in those of -the first. Captain Hutton, when questioned on the point, suggested tbab the source of supply at the second stratum is like a great enclosed lake into which water is flowing at a slower rate than that at which it is being withdrawn. There was, however, he said, no cause for alarm. The supply was sufficient for present purposes, although those who used it as a source of power were suffering. If the many hydraulic rams in the district were stopped when not actually required the rate of fall would probably be reduced. As to the extent of the supply, it would heimpossible to give any idea unless several observers were at work simultaneously in different parts of the district. That, also, would be the only method of gaining a knowledge of the sources of the water.

Hliallow Deep "Well. Well. ft. in. ft. in. May 1894 ... ... 2 9 9 7 „ 1895 ... 2 5 9 5 „ 1896 ... 2 71 9 5 „ 1897 not taken „ 1898 ... 1 101 7 9 „ 1899 ... .1 9J " 7 31