Page 8 - 1977 News Clippings

Water leak closes high school

The Ngaruawahia homes greatly reduced. fracture somewhere. He was
High School was closed The Borough engineer, checking the water pressure
and more than 600 pupils Mr R. B. Murray, said most at the school about 11 am
sent home yesterday after a consumers were getting yesterday and found the taps
leak in the town’s water “only a trickle” through their had dried up completely.
supply threatened to create taps. Mr Murphy made an
a health hazard. “We are drawing immediate decision to close
Whole sections of the considerable amounts of the school.
town were due to have the water into the reservoir but it There had been recent
water supply cut off last is disappearing as fast as we cases of hepatitis among
night while an attempt was can pump it up,” he said. pupils and staff and it was
made to find the cause of the “It is a real mystery,” decided not to risk a
leak. It was planned to cut off further health hazard
A quarter of a million sections of the town from the created by the failure of
gallons a day were being supply as a means of finding the water supply.
lost, but it was not known the leak, says Mr Murray. The borough health
where the water was It is thought a large inspector, Mr J. R.
escaping from. underground fracture of the Mackness, said there was
Pumps which supply the water main is to blame, still no cause for concern for
reservoir with water drawn although there is no visible the general health of the
from the Waikato River were sign of a break. town. If pressure dropped
working normally but the The headmaster of the altogether, however, serious
reservoir level was high school, Mr N. J. problems could be caused by
dangerously low and Murphy, said it was known a possible back-flow in the
pressure to consumers on Tuesday there was a sewerage system.

Leak Still Elusive

June 1977 cases of hepatitis among Last night council staff
pupils and staff and it was were hoping to close off the
Ngaruawahia Borough decided not to take further water supply in the central
Council staff and water risks. and south-western part of the
engineering specialists About half a million town.
were preparing to spend litres a day was being lost Pressure to consumers’
another cold night but it was not known for homes has been considerably

searching for a leak in the sure where the water was reduced because of the leaks.
town’s water supply last escaping from. The Mayor of
night. Ministry of Works staff Ngaruawahia, Mr F. Barakat,
More than 600 pupils found a fault yesterday at the said that special engineers
from the Ngaruawahia High high school which was and electronic stethoscope
School were sent home on causing the loss of about type equipment was being
Wednesday afternoon after 10,000 litres an hour. There used in the search.
the leak has threatened to is still another leak of a He said the steel water
cause a health hazard. similar size somewhere in pipes could be up to 60 years
There had been recent the town. old.