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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1974
WATER POSITION BETTER -- BUT CRITICAL PERIOD AHEAD PUBLIC AGAIN REMINDED TO KEEP CONSUMPTION DOWN
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THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. WILLIAM BELL, TODAY GAVE A WARNING THAT ALTHOUGH THE WATER STORAGE SITUATION HAD BEEN DRAMATICALLY TRANSFORMED BY THE RECENT TROPICAL STORMS, +IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED THAT WE ARE OUT OF THE WOODS YET.+
HE SAID THAT THE WINTER, OR DRY, SEASON OF 1975/76 WOULD BE A +CRITICAL PERIOD+, AND VERY CAREFUL STOCK WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN OF OUR POSITION IN THE SUMMER OF 1975. +TO MINIMISE THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER RESTRICTIONS DURING THIS PERIOD, THEREFORE, EACH ONE OF US CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN REDUCING CONSUMPTION BY USING LESS WATER. +
MR. BELL WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON A MOTION OF THANKS TO THE GOVERNOR'S OPENING ADDRESS TO THE NEW SESSION.
WHILE IT WAS NOW POSSIBLE TO RETAIN FULL SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE WINTER, THE CONTINUING INCREASE IN DEMAND LEAVES NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY.+
IN THE MEANTIME WORK WAS WELL UNDER WAY ON TWO PROJECTS PLANNED TO AUGMENT OUR RESOURCES IN THE LATTER HALF OF THIS DECADE. +THESE ARE THE 40 MILLION GALLONS A DAY DESALTING PLANT AT LOK ON PAI, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO COMMENCE PRODUCTION IN EARLY 1975 AND REACH
ITS DESIGNED OUTPUT BY MID-1976, AND THE HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME, WITH A STORAGE CAPACITY OF 60,000 MILLION GALLONS, WHICH WILL BECOME PROGRESSIVELY MORE AND MORE USEFUL TO US DURING THE PERIOD 1976 TO 1978.+
MR. BELL SAID THAT, LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD, THE MEANS OF MEETING STILL FURTHER DEMAND FOR WATER INCLUDED THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER MAJOR DESALTING PLANTS, ALTHOUGH DUE TO THE INCREASE IN OIL PRICES EARLY THIS YEAR, THE UNIT COST OF WATER PRODUCED BY THIS METHOD HAD INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.
+FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THEREFORE BEING GIVEN TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL CONVENTIONAL RESOURCES WHICH MAY NOW BE ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE. THE CONTRIBUTION OF THESE, ALTHOUGH USEFUL IS NOT CONSIDERED LIKELY TO OBVIATE THE NEED FOR LARGE- SCALE DESALTING PLANTS IN THE 1980S,+
TURNING TO CONSUMER SERVICES, MR. BELL SAID THAT WHILE PLANS TO PROVIDE WATER RESOURCES TO MEET FUTURE DEMAND COULD BE VIEWED WITH SOME CONFIDENCE, LITTLE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN PROVIDING AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF SERVICE TO THE 592,000 CUSTOMERS.
+ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE, HOWEVER, AS THE RESULT OF A SPECIAL STUDY ON THE USES OF COMPUTERS WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, IT HAS BEEN AGREED AT THE TECHNICAL LEVEL THAT THE WATERWORKS ACCOUNTS SHOULD BE COMPUTERISED.+
TURNING TO PRIVATE