POWER SUPPLY

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 63, 10 February 1930, Page 6

POWER SUPPLY

OPERATIONS OF BOARD. WORK DURING MONTH. Operations during the month were reviewed bv the chief engineer (Mr W. A. Waters) in his report to the meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board to-day. He reported as follows: “During the month one Fending gang has been engaged on erecting a portion of the tie line Haleombe-San-son route to give suppl ,T to one consumer on the route This gang has al«o been engaged on running neW sprvice lines and maintenance work. The •other Fei’ding gang is still engaged on erecting tho au+omoti’p rednsing equipments, and to date the following outdoor substations have been completed : Te Matai, Tiritea. Linton. T.nngburn, Rangibtu. Roumotea. Frecklington’s Line. Taikorea. Ualcombe and Bunnytliorpe. The Palmerston North gangs have been engaged on general maintenance work. The line through the Taonui swnmi> has been given its usual annual overhaul. Thousands of noles have been treated at the groundline with a creosote mixture, and. where out of line, jacked up and Mocked. At the same time the trees on the route of line have been dealt with to avo’d trouble from them in the future. New transformers to cope with increasing loads have been erected in Campion’s Line, Kahuterawa, Sanson, Aokautere. Linton, Karere, Ashhurst and Cooper’s Line. The short extension on Benson’s Line is now being finished, now that more transformers have arrived. Alterations to the grouping of transformers at Ohakea have been made and lines overhauled and repaired where necessary. The following consumers were given a supply during the month: — Lighting and heating 14, water heaters 12, ranges 7, milking motors 4, other motors 8, industrial motors 2; total 57. THE BUNNTTHORPE FIRE. At 4.17 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28th, a serious interruption to the supply occurred due to a power arc starting in the Public Work’s Department's metering cubicle and destroying their building and equipment. Work was immediately started by the board’s staff to erect a temporary line from our substation to the department’s transformers, and shortly before seven o’clock that evening supply was restored to the system. “Hie total interruption was approximately 2$ hours, which, considering what had to be done was a remarkably good performance. Every one of the staff assembled at Bunnythorpe and did hi 6 best to restore the service as soon as possible. The line has since been made permanent and will carry the load'indefinitely. INVESTIGATION OF LINES. “During the month an investigation was made of an extension of the 3300 volt line on the Mangaone Road, Halcombe. Six consumers have made application for a supply; three are requiring light and beat only, the other three are wanting milking motors, etc. Two miles ot line would have to be built to supply all the consumers, and the revenue forthcoming would not be sufficient to make the line a payable proposition as the three farthest ones only want lighting. The three milking motors are situated in a group, and within one mile of the existing 3300 volt pole line. An estimate of this portion of the line has been prepared and the position is as follows: —Cost of extension for three consumers, £540; estimated reyenue, £76; return, 14 per cent. “A further canvass has been made of the Kakariki extension. The original estimate was based on using steel poles, and No. 8 galvanised wire, and was as follows: —Estimated cost, £982 ; estimated revenue, £100; return, 9.8 per cent. The recent canvass resulted in us securing an estimated additional £2O revenue, but against this we will have to take into consideration that more costly poies will have to be used, and even allowing for the use of No. 8 wire the position is:—Estimated cost, £1082: estimated revenue, £120; return, 11 per cent.”