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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1977
WATER RESTRICTIONS FROM NEXT WEDNESDAY
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THE P.W.D.'S DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR. WILLIAM TUCKER, ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT WATER RESTRICTIONS WOULD COME INTO FORCE NEXT WEDNESDAY (JUNE 1).
HE SAID SUPPLIES WOULD BE CUT OFF AT 10 P.M. AND RESTORED AT 6 A.M. EACH DAY, WITH THE AIM OF ACHIEVING A 10 PER CENT SAVING IN DEMAND.
MR. TUCKER WARNED THAT FURTHER RESTRICTIONS WOULD BECOME NECESSARY IF THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT SOON IN OUR RAPIDLY-FALLING RESERVOIR STORAGE LEVELS.
+THE APPROVED INITIAL RESTRICTIONS ARE MILD, AND SHOULD NOT CAUSE GREAT HARDSHIP TO ANYONE,+ HE SAID.
+BUT THERE IS EVERY LIKELIHOOD THAT RESTRICTIONS WILL BECOME MORE SEVERE FAIRLY QUICKLY IF WE DO NOT GET SOME GOOD RAINFALL SOON ON OUR WATER CATCHMENT AREAS — AND UNLESS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INCREASE THEIR EFFORTS TO CUT DOWN ON CONSUMPTION AND AVOID WASTE.+
MR. TUCKER STRESSED THAT THE DECISION TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN ONLY AFTER A VERY CAREFUL ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION. WE HAVE NOW REACHED A STAGE WHERE IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO POSTPONE RESTRICTIONS, HE SAID.
HE SAID +EARLIER THIS MONTH, WHEN I ANNOUNCED THE PROBABILITY THAT WATER RESTRICTIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE IMPOSED EARLY IN JUNE, ROUGHLY ESTIMATED THAT IF WE GOT BETWEEN 150 AND 200 MM (6 TO 8 INCHES) OF GOOD RAINFALL ONTO OUR CATCHMENT AREAS BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO POSTPONE THE IMPOSITION OF RESTRICTIONS.
+THAT MUCH RAINFALL, IF IT HAD ALL GONE INTO OUR RESERVOIRS, WOULD HAVE ADDED SOME 3,000 TO 4,000 MILLION GALLONS TO OUR STORAGE.
+ IN THE EVENT. IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS WE HAVE RECEIVED A FAIR BIT OF RAINFALL, BUT VERY LITTLE INDEED HAS BEEN FALLING WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT FALL.
+MOST OF IT HAS COME IN THE URBAN AREAS, AND VIRTUALLY NONE OF IT HAS ACTUALLY REACHED OUR RESERVOIRS.
+AS A RESULT, IN THE WEEKS SINCE I MADE MY ANNOUNCEMENT, THE TOTAL RAINFALL YIELD TO OUR RESERVOIR STORAGE HAS BEEN A MERE 833 MILLION GALLONS, HE SAID.
AS AN EXAMPLE, MR. TUCKER POINTED OUT THAT DURING THE HEAVY DOWNPOURS ON THE MORNING OF TUESDAY THIS WEEK (MAY 24), THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S GAUGES RECORDED A HEALTHY 72.6 MM OF RAIN.
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