WATER RATIONED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23861, 11 January 1941, Page 11

WATER RATIONED

REMUERA and tamaki hoses prohibited COUNCIL'S EXPLANATION ALLEGATIONS of waste On the ground that the majority of flcimiera and Tamaki residents had ignored the appeal made to them on Tuesday to economise water, the Citv Council yesterday prohibited the use of garden hoses and sprinklers in those districts until further notice. In making its appeal, the council stated that the water level in the service reservoirs on Mount Hobson was falling and the usual recovery at night was not taking place. This was a serious matter for the industries in the Westfield area, which .drew their supplies from Mount Hobson The statement alleged that the domestic consumption in Reimiera and lamaki was excessive anil that observation of the reservoir levels showed that many hoses and sprinklers were left running all night. The council asked all residents to refrain from watering gardens in this nay after S p.m. Risk Deemed Serious A further statement issued by the council yesterday declared jliot important industries in the freezing works firoa were reported already to have been seriously interfered with, and that supplies of water for fire-fighting anil domestic .. purposes on the liiLili levels were endangered. Jhe position was actually worse than when the appeal was made, and the only course was to prohibit the use of hoses and sprinklers. "It is unfortunate," the statement concluded. "*hat those residents who were sufficiently public-spirited to comply with the original request should suffer along with those who disregarded it." A further explanation of the council's action was given yesterday by the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, in the Absence of the waterworks engineer, Mr. A. 1). Mead, who is on holiday. "It should be clearly understood that there is no shortage of water in the dams," Mr. Tyler said. "They are all at a perfectly satisfactory level, and we are not drawing off as much as we might. The .trouble is that the consumers served from the Mount Hobson reservoirs are using moro water than the main from Mount Eden to Mount Hobson can supply, Unless the demand is reduced, the situation will become really serious. Water for Westfield "Since 19.JS we have been supplying the freezing works and other industries at Westfield from a main connected with the Mount Hobson supply at Penrose. Originally the industries asked for 500,000 gallons a dav, and we provided for 750.000 gallons. Since then, and especially on account of the war, the demand has grown until now one works alone is consuming 800.000 gallons a day. In order to help matters Wt built a local service reservoir on Hamlin's Hill, holding 750,000 gallons, and it. was put into use last year. "The supply was taken from Penrose because it wag the most convenient points" Mr. Tyler continued, "but the council last year began the construct/on of a 24in. and loin, main from the Khyber Pass reservoir to Green Lane to serve the Westfield area and relieve Mount Hobson of it entirely. Unfortunately, owing to the war we have not yet ,been able to obtain the last mile of pipes. When they come to hand there should be no further difficulty.'' Heavy Garden Watering Regarding domestic consumption in the eastern suburbs, Mr. Tyler said the average over the whole of the council's supply area was 80 gallons per capita daily. In Remuera it averaged 100 gallons, and from tests it was estimated that the consumption at night, mainly for watering gardens, Lad averaged 30 gallons per capita in recent weeks. "The Waterworks Department's inspectors have found numbers of hoses and sprinklers left running at night," remarked Mr. Tyler. "When some toad formation works in one neighbourhood were restarted after the holidays it was seen that a clay bank had been eroded by water and had slipped in places. We traced the cause, and found that it was entirely due to the excessive watering of gardens some distance above. The surplus water had ! flowed over the surface until it came to the cutting." The £225,000 Loan

Mr. Tyler emphasised that the council's supply as a whole was easily meeting requirements except in this particular area, and that difficulties fad occurred there for reasons beyond the council's control. The present fonrces of supply in the Waitakere Kanges would be sufficient for some time yet. and the dams had a total capacity of 1,509,000.000 gallons. New w orks to meet 'increasing future needs uere under continuous review, including a possible supply to the North Shore. Authority for a waterworks loan of £225,000 was obtained by the council last year. Among works to he carried out under this was a high-level service reservoir on Mount Albert, with a capacity of 6,000,000 gallons. One item £15.000 for the purchase of additional land in the Hunua Ranges, *hi*re the council already held more than 9000 acres of watershed for use if new supplies were developed in that region. The loan schedule included extensive improvements to reticulation.

WHANGAREI RESTRICTIONS COMMENT BY ENGINEER [FROM OI7R OWN CORRESPONDENT] WHANGAREI, Friday Owing to the heavy demand, on account of dry weather, complete restrictions have been imposed in Whangarei the use of hoses for watering gar"e,\s and lawns. Another factor in the decision to impose restrictions is that the military camp at Kensington Park I s taking nearly 40,000 gallons a day om Wnangarei's water supply. It is ® x pected that limited use of hoses may be permitted at the end of the week. the borough engineer, Mr. I. A. l ~ r omie, stated that if hoses had been reasonably there would have been "o need for restrictions, but the indiscriminate and lengthy uso of hoses made e restrictions imperative.