WATER SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 53, 4 March 1926, Page 11

WATER SUPPLY.

CITY AND SUBURBAN AREAS.

THE AUCKLAND PROBLEM.

BOARD OF HEALTH ACTS.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday

A decision, which may have far-reach-ing consequences in connection with the water supplies of the main centres and their environs, was arrived at yesterday in Wellington when the Board of Health decided to appoint a special commission of inquiry into the Auckland and Taupo water problems. The Minister of Health (Hon. J. A. Young) presided at the meeting of the board, and there were also present: Dr. T. H. A. Valintine. Director-General of Health; Lady Luke, Sir Lindo Ferguson. Drs. S. Elliott and W. Young, and Messrs. S. W. McLean and Murdoch Fraser.

Referring to the question of water supply and drainage in Auckland and the surrounding districts, and incidentally the movement to obtain a supply of water from Taupo for Auckland, the Minister said that the board had recommended at its last meeting that an inquiry should be made into the position. This recommendation had been approved both by his predecessor in office, Dr. l'omare, and himself, but the question was whether the board should appoint a committee of inquiry from its own members or whether a special commission should be set up. The board decided to recommend the Government to take the latter coarse. Position at Auckland. The Minister gave an outline of matters leading up to the present decision. He said that there already existed in the Auckland district the North Shore Boroughs' Water Board. This body included the Devonport, Takapuna, Northcote and Birkenhead Boroughs and controlled the distribution of water through those districts, the source of which water was Lake Takapuna. This Water Board was seeking added powers which would entail the board taking over the sanitary control of the catchment area of Lake Takapuna.

Such control, said Mr. Young , , would include the granting of permits for buildings and the sanitary inspection of that area —matters which were now the duty of the Takapuna Borough Council. The questiou of granting or refusing permits for building within the catchment area, of course, affected the property rights of owners of sites round the lake and claims for compensation might follow. It was felt that neither the North Shore Boroughs' Water Board nor the Takapuna Borough Council controlled sufficient land near the lake to conserve the purity of its water. It was also understood that the Takapuna Borough Council had no adequate water carriage drainage to serve the area draining into Lake Takapuna. City Council's Position. While Lake Takapuna supplied the North Shore in the meantime, continued the Minister, competent opinion held that sooner or later the supply must be supplemented. The Auckland City Council supplied its own consumers from upland surface reservoirs near the city, and also sold water to some of the adjoining local authorities at a price that was high relatively to the cost to its own consumers and considerably above the actual cost of supply. By this means it was making a considerable annual profit, although the catchment areas used were geographically common to all the local authorities. Some of the nearby boroughs such as Otahuhu and Onehunga, were dependent on wells, which required to be chlorinated before being used for drinking purposes.

Referring to the Taupo scheme Mr. Young; said that the Auckland City Council claimed that a sufficiency of good water could be obtained from the catchment areas near Auckland city, and that it could be filtered at a much less estimated cost than Taupo. The City Council declined to join the Taupo scheme and contended that it could develop its present source of water, and could provide for all Auckland and district up to a 20 miles radius from the city with water for the next 50 years at least.

These facts, said the Minister, constitute ample grounds for holding an inquiry under section 14 of the Act, particularly in view of the fact that the Cabinet was being requested to legislate. Metropolitan Board System. In answer to questions, the Minister said he considered that it would not be outside the function of the commission to consider whether it would be more practicable and economical to establish one metropolitan water board to serve all the local authorities in and about Auckland, and he thought it would be advisable to consider the question of drainage on somewhat similar lines. There were precedents for the formation of metropolitan drainage boards in New Zealand —notably in Christchurch and Dunedin—and though there might be no New Zealand precedent for a metropolitan water board, the London County had a standing example of efficiency in its Metropolitan "Water and Drainage Board.