OTAHUHU'S PROGRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 210, 4 September 1911, Page 2

OTAHUHU'S PROGRESS.

WATER AND DRAINAGE WORKS. A FURTHER LOAN NECESSARY, j Excellent progress has been made at Otahuhu in connection with the Road Board's water supply and drainage scheme, and next month is likely to see the work brought to a conclusion. The scheme was first mooted about two years ago .by .Mr. J. Todd, who was theo [ chaiiman of the Board., and eventually a loan of £13,000 was raised for the purp< Now it will be necessary owing to an extension in the work, which waa not anticipated at first, to raise a second loan, which will, however, be of a comparatively small amount. This will be necessary owing to the Board having extended the water 'area by several miles. | Seen (by a "■Star" representative this morning. Mr. Ch-enery Suggate, M.1.C.E., the engineer in charge of the scheme, ■ gave some interesting particulars as to what has already been accomplished to-1 ward 3 the completion of the work. The septic tank, he s*iid, had now been completed, whilst the sewerage pipes were more than half finished. Then the ferro- i I concrete tower was very nearly ready for the water tank and the materials j for the spiral piping on the ground, and it was anticipated that the suction gas plant and pump would soon be available. The water, continued Mr. Suggate, would •be pumped from a well located by the Rev. Mason some months ago into a tank on rile top of the tower, falling by gravity to the town, and reticulated in the usual manner. The quality of this water is excellent, and a sample was described by Mt. Fond, the analyst, as one of the best he had ever met wSth. The Board had also under consideration the formation of a new road from the station t» the saleyards. whilst they also intended to improve the footpaths in the main streets, and to have a proper system of surface drainage. In regard to the general idea of the drainage scheme, one set of pipes start at the Three Lamps, branching down Great South-road and along Princes-street, connecting up to the second branch down Panmure-road. The second main travels in a southerly direction along the Great South-road, down Fairburn-ro-ad and Church-street, meeti/g the drain in Luke-street, and together flowing along to the septic tank, which is situated at the east end of the latter street The septic tank is on an improved principle, in which all the solids are converted into their constituent gases and liquor, the effluent being usually of a milky-coloured fluid, and not in any way dangerous to public health, provided it is readily disposed of. In this case it is carried into deep water in the Tamaki. Messrs Julian secured the contract for the sewerage, Messrs, Higgina and Tuck for the trenching, the Spiral Pipe Companv, Wanganui, for the pipes, Messrs. J, Chambers and Son for the suction, gas plant and pump, whilst the Board requested the engineer to construct the water-tower and tank by day labour. The tower, which is being erected at Richmond Hill, is of rather unique design. It is the only one of its kind in New Zealand, and is constructed solely of ferro-con crete.