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THURSDAY, JULY 30,
JULY 30, 1981
17
FIRM DECISION ON WATER SUPPLY NEXT MONTH
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THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR WILLIAM TUCKER, TODAY EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SUPPLY COULD BE MA INTA INED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SUMMER IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STORAGE POSITION AND THE PROSPECT OF OBTAINING FURTHER YIELD IN THE COMING TWO MONTHS.
SPEAKING AT THE Y'S MEN'S CLUB LUNCHEON, HE SAID, HOWEVER THAT A REPORT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO GOVERNMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH WHEN THE OVERALL SITUATION WOULD BE REVIEWED AND A FIRM DECISION MADE.
+ IT IS STILL VERY MUCH IN THE LAP OF THE GODS WHAT RAINFALL WILL OCCUR IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS AND HOW THIS WILL INFLUENCE THE NEED TO OPERATE THE DESALTER OR THE LEVEL OF SUPPLY WHICH MAY BE MAINTAINED IN THE COMING DRY SEASON, MR TUCKER SAID.
+AS A CONTINGENCY MEASURE, THEREFORE, WE ARE PREPARING THE POSSIBLE FULL SCALE OPERATION OF THE DESALTER SHOULD IT PROVE TO BE NECESSARY.+
REFERRING TO THE CURRENT SITUATION, MR TUCKER SAID IT WAS IMPROVED TO SOME EXTENT BY THE RECENT RAINFALL.
+WHILE SOME 317.2 MM HAS FALLEN IN THE MONTH, GIVING A YIELD OF 64 MILLION CUBIC METRES AND REPRESENTING 43 DAYS OF SUPPLY, THE RESERVOIRS ARE STILL ONLY 43.9 PER CENT FULL, HE SAID.
+WE ARE, THEREFORE, IN THE DIFFICULT SITUATION OF STILL HAVING TWO MONTHS OF THE WET SEASON TO GO, BUT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE RAINFALL IN THOSE TWO MONTHS IS LIKELY TO BE.+
IN THIS SITUATION, MR TUCKER SAID, HIS DEPARTMENT HAD TO EXAMINE ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES.
+THESE ARE BASED ON PROBABILITIES RELATED TO THE MAINTENANCE OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUPPLY, NOT ONLY FOR THE REMAINING TWO MONTHS OF THE WET SEASON, BUT FOR THE COMING DRY SEASON ALSO, SO THAT WE MAY ENTER THE NEXT WET SEASON WITH A REASONABLE QUANTITY OF WATER IN STORAGE, HE ADDED.
/ON WATER