LEAKING SEWAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 148, 25 June 1931, Page 8

LEAKING SEWAGE.

1 TAKAPUNA COUNCIL PROBLEM : QUESTION OF ENGAGING DIVER. ' Two items appearing in the report of the works committed of the Takapuna 13orough Council" provoked a long'discussion last evening, and eventually they were deleted . before the report was adopted. ' :; ' " * j} : - The Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven, advised 'the scale of- charges for diver's gear in connection with a proposed inspection of the ■ Black Hock' sewage outfall. The other item was-a copy of a letter which ithe acting borough engineer, . Mr. J. Bodle, had received with reference to the means, of inspecting the outfall. ; "This is one of the most serious matters .the present council will have to disicuss," said ,Mr. Titehener. "The pipe line cost.about £6000, and it is the key point to the whole drainage system, therefore councillors should exercise the 'utmost care to safeguard it. The men '-who arc preaching danger really know little about the pipe line. I will ask the Mayor if he can explain the erosion, the velocity of the pipe line and the purpose of the perpendicular end of the pipe line."

I The Mayor: It would be useless my telling you, because you would not understand it. Mr. Titehener: You are being insulting. I refuse to follow the lead of amateurs. . ~ Mr. Colegrove said the council should first hear the explanation of Mr. A. Slinger, the consulting engineer, before any further - expense was entered into. Mr. Slinger was the designer of the outfall. ' . . ■ , • "Is Mr. Slinger here to-night?" asked Mr. Titehener. '"Has your Worship invited him?" " ' The Mayor: No. Why should he be here? We have heard him before. Mr. Titehener : He is consulting engineer to this borough. - Mr. Titehener said that from the public platform prior to the election Mr. Guiniven said that if elected as Mayor he would allow Mr. Slinger an opportunity of discussing the whole sewerage question. As Mayor lie Should keep his word. •: '. ky' .- ; - Mr. Bryce Hart; agreed "with Mr. Titehener, adding that he had the greatest confidence in Miv Slinger. •; A suggestion that Mr. Slinger, and also two other practical'engineers, should, be asked to attend the council meeting to discuss the matter was made by Mr. Clifton. Mr. Waddell and Mr. . Clifton both alleged that the valves were leaking at the rate of fioiu 12 to 10 gallons per minute. Mr. Titehener said that to send men, not trained scientific engineers, to examine the work, which cost £200,000. was not right. He alleged that the fault was not that of the consulting engineer, but that the contractor had not faced the valves properly. -' The Mayor: It is a matter of urgency to have the inspection carried out. The acting-borough engineer, Mr. J. BOdle, explained the position. No one, he said, could be guided until someone had been down to inspect the pipe line. "Only three men have been below to sec it," he said. "The pipe itself is not flexible. In course of time the pipes become rigid. I think, the services of a diver are necessary first." Eventually a resolution, that Mr. Slinger be invited'to appear'before the council, was unanimously passed. Mr. Waddell: . I can assure Mr. Titehener that the valves are placed the wrong way round. If they arc changed there will be no more leakage.'

The Mayor: I've seen some, funny things in Takapuna, and this is one of them. "Later, .when the acting-borough engineer reported on the cost of repairs to sewage outfalls, £50 18/9 at Black Rock and £44 3 9/1 at St. Leonards, several members of the council considered that the'-cost was excessive, and Mr. Bodlc, who said the work was done under the supervision of Mr. Slinger, agreed to submit details to the next meeting.