The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1897. THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL RE THE WATER SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1897, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1897. THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL RE THE WATER SUPPLY.

For the causa that lacks aooifllancs, For the trroas that aesds resistance, for tho future in tho (Ustaneo, And tho good that we can 00.

The suggestions made by His Worship the Mayor in the concise paper on the water supply question published in our last evening's issue are thoroughly practical and timely. He points, out that if all the water flowing from the Western Springs could be conserved it would only suffice for a population of 68,000 people, and already 46,844 are dependent upon the city water supply for their requirements. The conservation of the entire outflow of the Springs could only be secured at great monetary cost and a sacrifice of the purity and freshness of the water. Moreover, no one can consider the sources of pollution which are arising on the watershed without realising that the Springs must ultimately become contaminated, and the city will have to look further afield for an ampler and safer source of supply.

We are not sure, ho\vever r whether, in the meanwhile, it would not be better financial policy to supplement the Western Springs service with the addition of an equivalent supply than to embark upon a scheme based upon a minimum population of 130,000 or 150,000 as suggested by Mr Boardman. The Waikato river is, we believe, the only source from which an independent supply of this magnitude could be obtained, and to draw our water supply from the Waikato. signifies an enor^ mous capital cost, which may really be unnecessary for twenty years to come.

When the Western Springs were selected as the source of Auckland's water service, their chief competitor was the Nihotapu River in the Waitakerei ranges, and opinions were pretty evenly divided among experts as to the relative value of these rival schemes. In settling on the Western Springs finally, the Nihotapu was kept in view as a supplementary source, which could be made available at any subsequent lime. Some valuable reports upon this supply by Mr Wrigg, formerly engineer to the Provincial Government, will be found in the blue books. If the Mayor's proposal to offer premiums for designs is adopted by She members of the City Council—and we think it will commend itself to their favourable con-

sideration —the conditions should be so framed as to embrace schemes utilising the Nihotapu, Waitakerei, and Hunua Rivers, and Lake Takapuna as supplementary aids to the existing supply. It may perhaps be found possible to double the present suppiy from one of,these sources at a cost of or and if that be found practicable, the interests of the city would, we believe, be better served by the adoption of a limited scheme than by committing the ratepayers to a liability for a service so much in advance of immediate requirements as a minimum of 130,000 inhabitants implies. If by an outlay of the city were enabled to remove the present risk of a water famine, and obtain a surplus sufficient in the severest year of drought to supply all the adjacent highway districts, the increased revenue would almost immediately cover the interest on the cost, There is a likelihood that this may be done, and the matter is certainly one that ought to receive full consideration when plans and estimates are invited.