CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 80

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4.

The estimated average population

served throughout the year has increased from 135,000 by

90,800 or 67 per centum to 225,800.

5.

Though the total consumption for

the whole year was 1,427,084,000 gallons in 1904 - 1905

against 775,865,000 in 1889 - 1890, an increase of 86 per

centum, the increase has been by no means continuous, small

preceding

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rainfall in any year or in the proceeding year necessitat-

-ing a longer period of intermittent supply and consequent

decrease in consumption. In this connection it must be

remembered that in existing circumstances distribution of

rainfall throughout the year is as important a factor in

enabling a continuous supply to be furnished as the total

rainfall. When the reservoirs are once full a heavy fall

causing them to overflow is obviously less advantageous

than the same fall spread over such a period of time as

will keep the supply just equal to the consumption.

6.

The consumption per head per diem

during the year varies of course with the period of

constant supply and with the number of hours in the day

during which the water is turned on during intermittent

supply. Another cause of apparent variation is wrong

estimation