PUPUKE WATER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 10

PUPUKE WATER.

■ PURE AT SOURCE ? PROPOSED SUPPLY FROM CITY. TAKAPUNA COUNCIL REFUSES. "The deputation should give us a chance to prove that the trouble lies in our water mains," said Mr. G. Gibson, in reply to a request to the Takapuna Borough Council, by a deputation representative of 609 signatories to petitions. The meeting last night declined, by a majority of eight to two, the request that facilities be given for a poll to be taken with a view to entering into a contract for a water supply from the Auckland .City Council. The deputation, representing Milford and Takapuna ratepayers, was introduced by Messrs. A. W. Wilkinson and A. B. Wilson. Mr. L. L. Speedy also appealed to the council to take some immediate action to improve the quality of the water supply. "This thing has gone far enough," said Mr. Speedy. "The sooner something is done the better, as all the propaganda going on about our water is having a most injurious cffect on the borough. We want good water, we want it quickly, and if clean water costs double what it does at present, it will be worth it. . Jf things go any further it will ruin the place. If you put the question to the ratepayers, the onus is then on them, and they'll be prepared to foot the bill and take the responsibility." Mr. W. H. JCagle, supporting the deputation, said that the council should collect all available information and lay it before the ratepayers an 4 let them decide. The first councillor to reply to the deputation's request, was Mr. W. H. Hall, who had 'produced two glass jars of water. One had been drawn from the pumping station and the other from his house. Those samples he claimed to bo absolutely pure and odourless. He considered that since the purification plant had been working the water was 90 per cent pure. The borough turncock had told him that his house water was pure because it supplied through an Sin. main. Ho had tried to imprqss upon tho council for six months that the fault lay in the mains. Mayor Blames Lake. The Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven: The rei ports which I now hold from experts, state that tho trouble is in the lake. The lake is practically a sludge-pond, and it is getting worse each year. I want to know why the council has not granted the request of the first petition with 500 names.

Mr. T. M. Rollo: I am heartily in accord with the majority of the points outlined by the deputation. There is no doubt that the position is positively desperate. The water to-day lias an absolute stench. It's, all very well for Devonport to say the lako water is all •right, but nothing will convince me of that. I suggest that we include ourselves in the proposed Metropolitan Water Board. We must get down to some absolute finality, and a start must be niade on cleaning the pipes. Even if we go bankrupt, we must do something, "Fault is in Pipes." Mr. M. L. Wilkins assured the deputation that the council was doing its best for a good supply. "It is an extraordinary thing," he said, "that in certain parte of the borough the water is absolutely 100 per cent good. It must be a logical conclusion, then, that the fault is mostly in the pipes. Whether j we put in pure water from the lake or from the city, we shall have to face the problem of cleansing our mains. That must be an additional cost, whatever source of supply Ave may decide on." Mr; J. Waddell: It is legally not within the powers of the council to hold a poll on the question of entering into a contract with the city. We have always had great difficulty in getting information as regards sources of supply. The water supplied at my house is entirety satisfactory. Assuming that the water is pure at the lake, the best thing we can do at present is to clean the pipes in one of the worst parts of the district and observe the effect. An opinion had been expressed to Mr. Waddell by Dr. T. J. Hughes, Medical Officer of Health, that the lake water had not been better for a very long while. The water at the Devonport pumping station was entirely satisfactory, free from smell and flavour. "There is absolutely no danger of bacterial infection," Dr. Hughes had continued, "and there is no protozoa in the water after it has been through the plant." Mr. Waddell said that he would be very glad for the ratepayers to take the responsibility of deciding on a source of supply, but he reiterated the legal opinion that the poll could not be sanctioned. The Mayor challenged Mr. Waddell's opinion, and read a clause from the Local Body Statutes. Mr. Waddell: The Mayor has talked a lot, but has not been to the lake once to try the water.

Mn Wilkinson (for the deputation): We want to know whether the petition can be granted or not. Mrs. A. Blomfield: The councillors wanted to find out all they could about sources of supply so that we could place everything before the ratepayers. Mr. Rollo: I am still of the opinion that the water in Takapuna is not all right. But we must not tic ourselves to a contract with the city in such a way as' to exclude us from a metropolitan board. (To the Mayor): Will you take up the question of the proposed board before this deputation ? The Mayor: No. That is a side issue. "Cheap at 5/- a 1000 Gallons." Mr. C. Clifton (to the deputation): I want you to understand that supply from the City Council would cost about 2/0 a thousand gallons to consumers. Mr. Rollo: It would bo cheap at 5/. The Mayor then moved "That the council accede to the ratepayers' wishes to make the necessary arrangements for a poll to be held to empower the council to contract for a water supply from the Auckland City Council." Refusal to support the motion until the results of pipe-clean6ing were known, was intimated by Mr. Wilkins, Mr. G. M. Galbraith, Mr. Gibson and Mr. P. Pedersen. Councillors who had been to the pumping station testified to the purity of the water as it came from the purification processes. Mr. Pedersen .begged the members of the deputation to visit the plant and try the water. He thought the majority of the ratepayers were not aware of the facts. The motion was defeated, only the Mayor and Mr. Rollo voting for it. As the deputation was leaving, Mr. Nagle reminded the council that they should consider quantity of supply as well as quality, when making their final decision.