CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS, xv, 
rise of the level of saturation, as to enable the supply to 
Sydney to be maintained by the pumps. 
In 1872, however, there was considerable anxiety owing 
to the shortage of the rainfall, and again in 1875 and 1876, 
there was much difficulty in maintaining a sufficient supply 
for the citizens, for although the level of saturation in the 
sand was above that of the creek beds, the water did not 
drain out fast enough to feed the pumps. 
In January 1875, the consumption of water in Sydney 
was 64 million gallons per day, 5+ millions being pumped 
from Botany, and 17 millions flowing by gravitation through 
Busby’s Bore. 
From August 1875 to April 1876, a very critical time 
occurred, when only 10 inches of rain fell during (about 
8 months) 240 days. The supply from the Lachlan Swamp 
dwindled away from about a million gallons daily at the 
commencement, until it failed early in March; but the 
store in the sand enabled the pumps at Botany to still 
maintain a supply of from 335 to 4 million gallons daily, 
right up to the end of the dry period. The population of 
Sydney at the time was 93,000, and in the suburbs 73,000, 
the total being 166,000, so that the rate per head was only 
24 gallons. 
The seriousness of the situation with regard to the water 
supply, experienced during the dry period of 1875 and 1876, 
caused public attention to be directed to the necessity of 
taking some immediate action to bring in an adequate 
supply. Since the Commissioners’ report was received in 
1869, several new proposals were formulated, notably one 
by Mr. James Manning, to obtain a high level gravitation 
supply from the Loddon and Madden Plains, supplemented 
by a further supply from Kangaloon and Wingecaribee. 
That gentleman had still a further proposal, to obtain a 
supply from Port Hacking, which was entirely separate 
