EARTHQUAKE RISK

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1932, Page 11

EARTHQUAKE RISK

SAFEGUARDING WATER SUPPLIES. SUGGESTIONS TO COUNCIL. Pointing out that Auckland was somewhat safeguarded in having three pipe lines, fairly widely separated, and that stocks of pipes and constructive materials for replacing breaks were held at several points in the ranges, the city waterworks engineer, Mr. A. D. Mead, furnished a report to the City Council last evening dealing with the effect the earthquake disaster had had upon the Napier water supply system. He also, at the request of the council, offered suggestions for any special precautions that might be considered necessary in Auckland. The report covered the service reservoirs, reticulation system, and pumping, and said it was essential to be able to repair damaged sections of the reticulation quickly. It was also desirable that important feeder mains should be duplicated on widely separated routes. Summarised, liis recommendations wore: —The immediate provision of extra valves for isolating reclamations; the trial of a flexible pipe joint; the issuing of instructions to the waterworks staff regarding immediate action to bo taken in the event of a severe earthquake and regarding routine attention to valves, etc.; the provision of a connection to the Remuera reticulation at Brighton Road; provision for the possibility of earthquake effects in design and lay-out of future service reservoirs and feeder mains, particularly in the direction of having them small, more numerous and widely separated, rather than few and large, and in provision of emergency interconnections.