Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 950

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The following is a comparative statement of the rainfall for the various periods of the year, as compared with the average for the years 1884-1900 inclusive, taken from the Observatory records :--

Average of 17 Years.

1901.

January to April inclusive,

.11.85

11.75

May to September inclusive,.. October to December inclusive,

...65.42

39.91

7.83

4.12

Total,..........

..85.10

55.78

In consequence of the deficient rainfall, Tytam and Wong-nei-chong Gap Reservoirs never became filled throughout the year. The water in Tytam reached its maximum level on the 11th September, when it was 7 feet 8 inches below the overflow, representing a storage of 322 million gallons, whilst Wong-nei-chong Gap attained its highest level on the 22nd August, the water being then 9 feet 41 inches below the overflow and the contents amounting to 19 million gallons.

At the date first mentioned (11th September), the contents of all the reser- voirs amounted to 390 million gallons, or about 120 millions less than their full capacity. Recourse was had to the intermittent system on the 11th November, when the supply to the main portion of the City was turned on for 4 hours daily, the hours being further curtailed in parts where it is necessary, under this system, to serve a limited number of houses at a time in order to ensure, as far as possible, all of them obtaining a supply.

A general cleansing of the City having been undertaken by the Sanitary Board, arrangements were made to turn on water during the greater part of the day to the various districts where operations were in progress, in addition to the hours of supply already stated. The cleansing began on the 25th November, and continued up to the close of the year and, though every effort was made to confine the supply to the areas where the cleansing gangs were at work, large portions of the City had to be traversed in many cases in order to reach the required points, with the result that the necessary economy in the consumption of the water could not be effected.

The intermittent supply had been in force for 51 days up to the close of the year, when the quantity remaining in the reservoirs amounted to 146 million gallons.

The total quantity of water supplied during the year was 1,286,632,000 gallons filtered and 7,752,000 gallons unfiltered, making a grand total of 1,294,384,000.

The average consumption of filtered water per day was 3,525,000 gallons, which, with an estimated population of 209,000, gives an average daily consumption of 16.87 gallons per head for all purposes.

Full details of the consumption, contents of the reservoirs, &c. will be found in Appendices C, D and E. The analyses made by the Government Analyst showed that the quality of the water throughout the year was excellent.

The water pumped to the High Level District of the City amounted to 28,939,000 gallons over the whole year, equal to an average daily consumption of 79,285 gallons, whilst 24,143,000 gallons were pumped to the Hill District giving an average daily consumption of 66,150 gallons.

The grand total pumped during the whole year amounted to 53,082,000 gallons.

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