NORTH SHORE WATER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 223, 20 September 1938, Page 8

NORTH SHORE WATER.

DETERIORATION OF SUPP^γ

(To the Editor.)

! After several years of consistent to the procuration ~f a permanent euptfjirtf pure water from l!ie city for Xorth gL»! residents, tin- Mayor of Devonport ha a n? denly express.-,! aim-in ; ,t the possibility Si drought in tlip event of tun oneecutire £» seasons. However, ihi- rV r : of a drougfct* a minor matter when empared witlTtt, deterioration in the ipialiiy <,f the water i the lake which has t.iken jilajp in recent wJ? Already considerably ..-. c r ~ thousand pomfe ha* been spent in ei»;.;n:r -üb.hating in*S jtion to the cost of i-.-.miiin.'.us chiorinatioß lAd Birkenhead ii-nv tak.-s water from thedt* there should he no immeuialo r>ar of droogW and a nialter ~t fa.-t. tho k-vt-1 of the yS 'i(M-c r,\ inclirri riming tin- mouth of Aumit But if the eityV ..tfi-,- i- i,.. t taken advant«: <.f the N'f.rth slioiv loral i,,Mli ( -,-. ~,ay haveto J.ear the « l,ole of .-, pi,,,, Ji, le t0 Waitakew at a later date, ami that would mean an outlay of approximately £ISiMiOO. At preeert in TakdpuiiA tht- <o-\ of water at the ■2/:iM-> per thousand •ralloiis. and if the dtr I water wen? pmr-hase.! the increa#e would bt only 2.27(1 per thousatul. and not lid as Mr Meikle ha- rtatwl Mr. lleikle's etatemeM that the (if city water to 1)e von port wonU be 2/S p,. r 10' in gallon* incredible. has oniittp<! t<, 11 finn that the Public Work* Departments «'r-tiinate of the capacity of tht iWairau schpnie included th* I run-off on th<> lake fiitr-liinent area, and that the whole of the watershed would have te 'he if thv -flienie were adopted. Thi« i would make the :e]ieiiif a too exjiensive one ,to lie uiidertakoii. l.ut if. on the other haul ,on!v lour chaiiK of watershed were the Health Department would insist upon tte ■ run-off on Ihe l.uhuice of the catchment area thrown open for settlement being conveyed , throu-.'h a «.tor;nwater drain outside the j watershed. The catchment area being destroyed, I the supply available would then be totally inadequate a huge dam in the Wairu I Valley were constructed. The engineer's etimate for such dam, purchase of Wairau swamp etc., in 1932 was £191.000, and the estimated copt of the water per 1000 {rallons l/4J.,T«Ia. puna would insist upon the other bdrmtgfcf sliarinjr the cost of a drain aai riiifr sewer, and the scheme would be of no practical uee t-o anyone. In any caee, the crude idea of delivering dirty, muddy water into the lake and the subsequent loai ly percolation and evaporation ie absurd. W*itakere water is the only sane solution, and when necessity drives, an agreement will be reached with the City Council. JOHN* GUIXTVjar, ifayor of Takapun*.