GAS AND WATER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 80, 3 April 1906, Page 5

GAS AND WATER.

THROUGH OXE PIPE. EE3VIAEKABI/E DISCOVERY IK- ? 1 : "Within a, few -weeks &oma land) will enjoy the unique distinction; 6i ..-,being the only town. in. Australia- 1 (possibly.in all the world) whose -gas and water-supply is derived from fhe one source (-writes a representative ofthe "Evening News" and "Town and Country Journal," at present travelling : through Queensland).' By,that time the local council 'hopes to have Roma illuminated with a natural gas from, its artesian bore, from the town wafer supply is also drawn. This _-gas, fii' which there seems "to be an. unlimited" supply, is free from impurities, and said: to be 25 per cent better than ordinary coal gas as an iUumiriant. The mains, have already been, put down,, and ?the gasometer, now in course of Construe•tion, together with the connections and installation of. separator, will be completed by May i 6. :.■;..- In 1.897,' No. 1 Bore was sunk to M depth r of ieoOft, with a flow or 69.141; gallons of water per day. This water: showed no trace whatever of gas. Three ■ years later, however, when the council sank No. ;2 Bore in the. same vicinity,; and had reached a depth of 3682 ft, the lucky find of gas was, made, yielding, 39,411 •cubic feet per 24 hours, which ,out-. put has since been further increased to 70.000 ft in the same period. Provision was subsequently made to ; keep at least a large proportion .of the. water free from, the taint of gas, and irrespective of the 39,411 gallons of -water wrhich escapes with the gas each day from the upper orifice of 55"o: 2 Bore, the; weir measurement of the flow from fhe. lower orifi.ee of this bore into ,th<e town,\ is 158,900 gallons of potable water perday, equal to a supply of 79 gallons each to a population, of 2000 persons. This jn itself is more "than ample, the average consumption being 30 gallor/s per. head.' JRdma residents are pardonably proud of their acquisition, and hope, in addition to cheap gas, that the transaction will show such, a -profit to the council that the need of levying ordinary municipal rates will disappear.