SYDNEY’S BAD DROUGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24256, 26 March 1940, Page 16

SYDNEY’S BAD DROUGHT

DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD TOWNSHIPS' SUPPLIES FAIL (From Our Own Correspondent) 1 SYDNEY. Mar. 13. >" Sydney has had its driest summer-an 90 years of weather records, and many districts in New South Wales are suffering similarly. In many of the smaller towns, acute shortage of water supplies for domestic purposes is causing hardships and danger of epidemics. Sunday has been appointed a day of prayer for rain. , The rainfall at Sydney for the summer season. December-February. wias only 188 points, compared with the previous lowest summer' total. 238 points in 1913-14. Since the beginning of the year, only 170 points have been recorded, comparing with 1123 points for the corresponding period last yeair. Supplies in Sydney’s four main reservoirs, Cataract. Cordeaux, Prospect, and Nepean, are.down to 40 per cent, of capacity, but there is no likelihood of acute shortage', though minor restrictions have been imposed. a - " Many towns which rely on tank;; and wells are having water carted to them. Others with reservoir supplies are finding these failing. The supply in Kiama. a coastal town 79 miles: south of Sydney, failed Tast week;,; and water has now to be carried a considerable dis--tance to meet domestic needs, or pumped from long-disused wells. Dubbo, about 300 miles west of Sydney. depending on the Macquarie River for its town supply, is in a serious plight. The river has dried tip. Supplies are being obtained from a, number of water-holes wh jch have been linked to a pumping station. The Hunter River, which provides the town supply for Musewellbrook. about 190 miles north of Sydney, and the Macquarie River at Narromine are now a series of waterholes. At the large industrial town of Lithgow. 100 miles west of Sydney, the supply is getting low and restrictions have been imposed on garden hoses. Some of the little rural settlements near the metropolis are in parlous plight. At Werrington. 30 miles from Sydney. 20 families are living on water from three stagnant lagoons. The first is reserved for bathing the second for washing clothes, and the third for drinking purposes. Every tank in the district is emnty and the farms Eire desolated. ■ There is fear that diphtheria and typhoid epidemics may result from the use of unclean water: Stuart Town, about 250 miles from Sydney, provides a typical exrmple. With their water supply contaminated and condemned, their house tanks empty, and diphtheria raging, the 400 residents of the town are facing a serious position. About three weeks ago water became; scarce, and now the occupants of practically every house are carting water from a town seven miles away, using the little water in a few tanks that are not quite dry, or getting their supplies from disused mine shafts. A bath is a luxury. The diphtheria outbreak has caused great anxiety in the town, where there is neither hospital nor doctor. The effect of the drought in the central coastal belt of about 200 miles has been acutely felt by citrus orchardists. vegetable growers and poultry farmers/ The orchardists, despite frantic efforts to save their crops and trees, expect to harvest only 20 per cent, of the normal yield.. They are carting water to attempt to save. the remainder of their trees. Many of them have been ruined. Poultry farmers are.affected by lack of both water and green feed. The vegetable growers have seen nearly all their crops wither through heat or fail through lack of water. Prices of peas and beans in Sydney are from 9d to Is a lb, compared with 2d or 4d usual at this time of the year. t Even suburban householders have watched their lawns wither, and flowers have been scarcer and poorer than for many years. Sydney’s landscape is one of depressing drabness, except for the never-failing gum trees. 'V ; • ’ \