THE SYDNEY WATER SUPPLY. 213 



that no building or public work of any description above 

 ground is immune from their attack. I have endeavoured 

 to show what would be our predicament through the hold- 

 ing up of the coal, so far as the water supply to the higher 

 zone is concerned, but it is only those who are fully aware 

 of the manner in which the water is brought into the city, 

 who can realise how precarious is our dependence on the 

 daily supply of the precious fluid. It is sufficient here to 

 say that no city of the importance of Sydney, with close 

 upon one million inhabitants, should be satisfied with only 

 one conduit, and that one wholly above ground for about 

 half its length, and therefore subject to interference in a 

 manner which it is obviously undesirable here to enlarge 

 npon. 



The reasons above stated are quite sufficient in them- 

 selves to cause anyone interested in the water supply to 

 ponder over means for its better security and improve- 

 ment. That such is very necessary has also been recently 

 demonstrated by the state of the reservoirs at the termina- 

 tion of the drought in September last year, when we were 

 so near to a water famine, there being less than 200 days' 

 supply on a very much reduced consumption, when the 

 situation was relieved by bountiful rains at a season of 

 the year when they were not usually expected. 



It is nearly seven years ago, namely, in August, 1910, 

 that the Public Works Committee inquired into a 

 proposal for the amplification and improvement of the City 

 Water Supply. The reference included works for improving 

 the distribution of the water only, but although the question 

 of increasing the storage did not form part of the refer- 

 ence, the chairman very early in the inquiry recognised its 

 importance, and the matter was fully investigated, im- 

 portant evidence on the subject being given by the officials 

 of the Water Board, and also by the late Mr. Wade and 



