ARAPUNI POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23384, 28 June 1939, Page 15

ARAPUNI POWER

MAINTAINING OUTPUT WORK AT THE DAM FUTURE ENLARGEMENT BORINGS BEING MADE [from our OWN coukespondbnt] HAMILTON, Tuesday With a view to maintaining a more constant output of power from the Arapuni hydro-electric works, the Public Works Department is erecting Hash boards on the spillway at the dam. In this way provision will be made for raising the level of the Arapuni Lake by about four foot, so that flood wnteis which mav be expected in the winter will be prevented from flooding over the spillway. In addition to giving a larger storage of water at the lake, the dashboards will increase the head of water on the turbines, so that a little more power will be generated with the same amount of water as at present. Subsidiary to Control Gates The erection of the dashboards has already commenced, and is expected to be completed within three weeks. In case of a large flood the boards can he easily removed, allowing the watci to flow away. Some time ago it was announced that a scheme was in hand to erect, control gates at Lake Taupo to regulate the flow of water into the Waikato River. The present work is subsidiary to this scheme. Heavy rain last week-end in a considerable amount of water flowing over the spillway for the first time for some months, and about a foot of water was lost. In future, this water will be conserved. With the ever-increasing demand for power and the enlarging of the power units at the station, it is intended to waste as little water as possible. The steam plants in Auckland and Wellington, which have been used for a longer time this year than ever before, have been shut-down for a time. Future Capacity The scheme to increase the capacity of Arapuni is now being carried out, and the boring of the two penstock tunnels, which will bring the strength of the station to eight units, lias commenced. The work of tunnelling is expected to take about a year. When the two new turbines are installed imxt year, the full scheme at Arapuni will be completed and the Public Works Department will then have to consider the establishment of a new hydro-electric scheme on the Waikato Kiver, in order to meet the increasing power demands of tlie North Island. Tenders close in Wellington this week for the work of boring to take rock tests at various points. It is considered likely that Karapiro, Cambridge, will he selected as the site for the new power station. Work is in progress with the erection of an additional power transmission lino between Arapuni and Penrose. Steel towers are being erected at various points along the route between Penrose to Clevedon, between Orini and Morrinsvillo and between Morrinsville and Arapuni. The recent wet weather has delayed the work.