XN000022-1981-09-29 — Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1981

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WATER RESTRICTIONS FROM OCTOBER 8

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IT WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL HAD APPROVED THAT WATER RESTRICTIONS WOULD COME INTO FORCE ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8.

THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR WILLIAM TUCKER, TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE RESTRICTIONS WOULD BE CARRIED OUT IN TWO PHASES.

+DURING THE FIRST PHASE, THE TERRITORY WILL HAVE A 16-HOUR SUPPLY DAILY FROM 6 AM TO 10 PM,+ HE SAID.

+THE SECOND PHASE WILL BEGIN ON OCTOBER 26 WHEN WE WILL HAVE A 10-HOUR SUPPLY DAILY, I.E. FROM 6 AM TO 10 AM AND FROM 4 PM TO 10 PM. +

THE 10-HOUR SUPPLY PERIOD AIMS FOR A 20 PER CENT REDUCTION IN CONSUMPTION.

HE URGED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CO-OPERATE IN ACHIEVING THIS REDUCTION.

MR TUCKER SAID THAT THE DECISION TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN AFTER MOST CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE WATER STORAGE SITUATION.

DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE DECISION HAD BEEN REPEATEDLY POSTPONED AS A RESULT OF RAIN.

+HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOW REACHED A STAGE WHERE IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO POSTPONE RESTRICTIONS, HE SAID.

+THE REASON FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF RESTRICTIONS IS THAT TOTAL RESOURCES INCLUDING STORAGE IN RESERVOIRS, WATER FROM CHINA AND THE OUTPUT FROM THE DESALTER ARE INADEQUATE TO MAINTAIN A FULL SUPPLY THROUGHOUT THE COMING DRY SEASON WITHOUT REDUCING STORAGE TO A DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVEL BY THE END OF THE DRY SEASON.+

MR TUCKER SAID THAT RESERVOIR STORAGE WAS LOW BECAUSE OF THE LOW RAINFALL OF 1 580.3 MM EXPERIENCED SINCE OCTOBER 1, 1980, WHICH IS ONLY 72 PER CENT OF THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE SAID, THE YIELD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO 193.9 MILLION CUBIC METRES, WHICH IS ONLY 50 PER CENT OF THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE FOR THE SAME PERIOD.

AT 9 AM TODAY, THE TOTAL STORAGE IN THE RESERVOIRS WAS 254.3 MILLION CUBIC METRES OR 44 PER CENT OF THE FULL STORAGE CAPACITY - FAR BELOW THE 383.2 MILLION CUBIC METRES OR 66 PER CENT RECORDED AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

VIEWS HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED THAT RESTRICTIONS ARE UNNECESSARY IN VIEW OF THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE STORAGE AND THE FACT THAT WATER FROM CHINA WILL RESUME ON OCTOBER 1.

MR TUCKER SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE A MOST UNWISE STEP AND THE SITUATION COULD BE EXPLAINED BY CONSIDERING WHAT THE POSITION WOULD BE ON MAY 1, 1982 IF A FULL SUPPLY WERE MAINTAINED.

/+FROM OCTOBER