TAKAPUNA WATER CONTROL BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 229, 25 September 1915, Page 10

TAKAPUNA WATER CONTROL BOARD.

A I.LOCATION OF SKIM'LY. A meetinj: of members of the 1-iiUe .T.ik.itiimu Water Control Board tooV |.i.vi- nt -1.311 p.m. re»terday aflcrnooti, when there were present. MiMsru. 11. M. skict iCmimi-.-ioncr of Crown 1..i:i1-.i. W. niomlicld iTakapunai. \\. Wnllac< Iliirkeiihrail). W. Hnn.lley (l)evonportl. mid A. K. C,reeii-.:adc (Northcote). The only buiiine.-i.ii of import.inee wa< in re»|K-ct to tin- allocation of the upply i>! water to the various local bodiei. The ehairrnan in opening said really the only busijieSci was the cjue-tion of Devonport Horough using the .vater for motive power to lift the senate. That i-ould be done by other methods and >.tvc the water for domestic use. I'ntil the supply at Lake Takapuna was augmented, every care must be taken to conserve it. Mr. Hlomfield eaid it was a mechanical dcviic for raising the eewage, which ,-oiild be done away with. Cntil Devonport Council watt told that must bo don.- lie feared the water would be used, as it_ wa_> the cheaper method. He moved that Devonport Borough Coun.-il be. informed it must, within three months, substitute other power than hydraulic for pumping the ecwajje. "The chairman said this waste of water must cease, ac the Summer 'was comin» oxl. Mr. Wallace considered the Board was on the wrong taick altogether in send ing instructions to local bodies how they wete to run thoir own affaire. Their by-lnwe stated the water was to be distributed on a population biuie, and yet three boroughs were allocated 27.600,000 ftallonj and Devonport 110,000,000. Then the Board had notified that the Sugar Company should provide its own water supply. " Last year wae the first time the Sugar Company had to have water from the borough, and it was not likely to occur again. The chairman said the result of tile Board's action «'aa that the Su/ar Cornjinny, a wealthy corporation, had made jirovision for ite own supply of water, lOstead of drawing upon the Lake. ; Mr. liamUey eaid he thought the IJoard's action'wns gutte right in respect to the Sugar Company, and the request regarding;. Devonport wag a reasonable oue. OfW thing was certain, the demand on Lake Tukapuna must be reduced. ]Jevonport required more water because it had a drainage scheme, which the other boroughs had not. The chairman said lie would eecond the motion if no one else would. Domestic i»e of water had the first call.

Mr. Wallace considered the Board had lost the confidence of the local bodies. Jfe moved as an amendment that Devonport Council Iμ- asked to tuke the neci'.ifturv steps to minimise the consumption oi water, and also for information as to •tyhen the Council expected to pump its stnage by other than hydraulic means. Thi« was seconded by Mr. Oreenelade, but the motion was adopted. Mr. Grecnslade then said the licenses for water to boroughs had not been issued in accordance with the bylaws. The chairman replied if a quibble was to be raUud he would give the fourteen days' necessary notice to amend thn regulations if it wae found necessary. He, however, thought the Board hid full power re distributing the water. Mr. Blomtield drew attention to the fact that pigs were being kept on the catchment area. The chairman said steps would be takell promptly to stop that.