REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Wednesday February 11, 1987

THERE was little hope the Gold Coast would lift water restrictions despite recent rainfall.

The water situation was considered by the joint Gold Coast and Albert Shire water advisory committee to be worse than first thought.

The Hinze Dam was at 27 per cent of its usable capacity, its lowest level to that point.

And it was expected that the Little Nerang Dam would run bone dry by the end of May 1987 unless there was consistent heavy rain.

Average daily consumption since the beginning of the month was 67.83 megalitres, dropping form a holiday high of 74.45 megalitres at the beginning of the month to 63.86 megalitres that week, when 31mm fell in the catchment area.

The Little Nerang Dam was expected to be empty by the end of April but that amount of rain extended its life until the end of May.

The Hinze dam catchment received the same rainfall but the water level was dropping at a rate of one inch, or about 250mm a day.

The dam was expected to run empty by the end of September if there was no more substantial rainfall.

Even thought there was plenty of water supply in the Tweed area and the pipeline to the southern parts of the Albert Shire and city is complete, the water committee was hesitant about buying it because of the high cost.

“Just pray for rain so we won’t have to buy,” said joint water committee chairman and Gold Coast Mayor Denis Pie.