WATER FOE NORTH SHORE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16008, 28 August 1915, Page 5

WATER FOE NORTH SHORE.

j LAKE TAKAPUNA SUPPLY, j , ANNUAL CONSUMPTION. . A STATEMENT regarding the water pumped from Lase Takapuna since January 1 was ! ' presented to the Board of Control by the j chairman, Mr. H. M. Skeet, yesterdav ! afternoon. j It showed that from January Ito June j 1 Birkenhead had been supplied with j 13,615,049 gallons and from June 1 to I August 26 with 1,316,738 gallons. From January 1 to April 3 a total of 9,150,000 j gallons, included in the above figures, was supplied to the sugar works. Owing to , the heavy rain the dams at the suoar works had been filled, and were now | overflowing, and the company ceased to , draw from the Birkenhead supply on J April 3. It would be noticed from the figures that for the last three months under 1£ million gallons had been used bv Birkenhead, but taking the average for the eight months it showed that about 8i million gallons annually would be sufficient for local consumption exclusive of the sugar works. Present indications pointed to the sugar works only requiring a supply m an abnormally dry season. Iv orthcote, from January 1 to June 1 had been supplied with 4,704.000 gallons' I and from June 1 to July 31 with 1,453 000 I e^ ODS ; giving an annual consumption of 10$ million gallons. TaJiapuna, during the same periods, had ' recened 3,565,000 gallons and 1,079 000 gallons respectively^^-hich gave an annual (consumption of 8,000,000 gallons. Rom January 1 to June 1 Devonport was supplied with 62,747,225 gallons and | from JuHe 1 to August 22 with 28,013 357 ! gallons. This cave an annual consump- ! A? n ( of 130.000,000 to 140,000.000 gallons i At the present time the sewage at Devoni port was raised by means of water power ana this meant a waste of it I 40,000,000 gallons. He was informed, however, that the counci" had under conj sideration the question of raising the sew ago by electricity or suction gas, and when the chosen scheme was an accompushed tact there should be a great and satisfactory saving. & From the end of June the lake had risen Ift 3in. Although the weeds were only cleared from a portion of the lake a short time ago the matter would have to be taken in hand shortly. The estimated amount of water available for pumping was 150,000,000 gallons per annum. When the sewage at Devonport was raised by other than water power that borough's consumption should be reduced to under 100,000,000 gallons. With judicious care there seemed no reason why ttiese figures should not be sustained. It was decided to draw the attention of the Birkenhead Council to the fact that the sugar works were not using water from the lake, and inform it that the board considered this was an opportune time for the Sugar Company to make provision for all time to do without a water supply from Takapuna