CITY FLOODING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 230, 29 September 1931, Page 7

CITY FLOODING.

REMEDIAL MEASURES.

REPORT BY CITY ENGINEER

RELIEF PIPES PROPOSED.

ESTIMATED COST, £45,000.

The flooding of the lower portion of the business area of the city during heavy rainfall, is the subject of a report by the city engineer (Mr. J. Tyler), which has been circulated to councillons and referred to the Works Committee.

The report states that the business area generally was built at the lower end of a sharply defined watershed, bounded on the east by Symonds Street, on the south by Karangahape Road, and on the west by Hobson Street. The area contained 342 acres. In early times, the storm water was taken by a creek, which flowed generally along the line now occupied by Queen Street, which was then, and still was, the lowest point and natural line of concentration of the main valley and its branches. During high tides, when the lower portion of the outfall was filled with sea water, there was no storage capacity in the sewer, and the rain water could not get away. It back up the branches, and rose in the manholes. Before it could be run off, the water from the upper reaches raced down, and could not get away, flooding occurring through the cesspits f,nd manholes in the lower area.

Mr. Tyler said, that, after careful consideration, the best scheme in his opinion was to reduce the quantity at present required to be taken by the Lower Queen Street and Customs Street East sewer by 65' per cent by the construction of relief pipes at Wellesley Street West and Durham Street West, under Albert Street. These would discharge under Prince's wharf at mean sea level.

No measures affording relief would be effective to safeguard the business area except' by the construction of main works such as. h a d been outlined, the estimated cost being:— Durham Street-Albert Street £28,978 Commerce Street-Fort'Street .... 1,400 •Emily Place 660 Breakwater Road 6,792 Albert Street-Wellesley Street .... 6,516 Total .... „ £44,346 "I consider that it is important that at least "the first three be carried out as soon as possible," concluded Mr. Tyler, "but the seriousness of the position is such as to fully merit the immediate undertaking of the'complete list."