CITY WATER SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27386, 11 May 1950, Page 6

CITY WATER SUPPLY

Storage Still Falling LOSSES FOR NINE DAYS During the .past nine days, the use of water in Dunedin has exceeded the intake to the city reservoirs by a total of 7,410,000 gallons. There were daily losses in water storage over this period. For the 24 hours ended at 8 a.m. yesterday, the loss of storage amounted to 1,075,000 gallons—the greatest daily recession in the nine days. This, strangely enough, is believed to have been due to the rain on Monday preventing the usual “ weekly wash ” from being done on that day by most householders. It was thought that the washing day was transferred to Tuesday or Wednesday, with a consequently greater demand for water than usual on these days. The total water storage in the reservoirs at 8 a.m. yesterday was 104.551.000 gallons, and the relaxation of the present restrictions on the use of water now appears, to have been deferred by the recurrent daily losses. The restrictions will not be removed until the reservoirs contain a total of 120,000,000 gallons. The water position in ; Dunedin was more serious at times last summer than it has' been up to the present this year. The comparative graph kept by the city engineer's department, however, shows that in the 24 hours ended at 8 a.m. yesterday the storage in the city reservoirs was lower than on the corresponding day last year. This indicates that the period of water scarcity in Dunedin has come later this year. At this time last year the reservoirs were gaining in storage instead of losing.