LAKE IN RANGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 234, 2 October 1940, Page 5

LAKE IN RANGES.

WATER FOR TROOPS.

PAPAKURA MILITARY SCHEME

The Public Works Department is constructing a new water supply for the Papakura military camp, and is impounding Hayes Creek, in the Hunua Gorge, with a concrete dam, to form a email lake at the bottom of Holt's old | scenic park. Tlie water will be forced from there by a low lift pump through fillers and treatment beds into a filtered water sump. From the sump the supply will be lifted by a high pressure pump to a I height of 2ooft into a reservoir near the Maori pa, on the top of Red Hill. This reservoir has a capacity of 500,000 gallons. From there the water will be 'delivered by gravity through an Bin concrete main to the camp, at the rate of 500,000 gallons a day if necessary. A supply of these dimensions would meet the needs of a town much larger than Whangarei. The work on the water supply was started a r.iont'i qgo, and is now well advanced, and there will be no fear ot a water shortage during the coming summer.

From an engineering viewpoint the project offers few difficulties, the locality being ideal for the purpose, required. The site of the dam is three miles above the camp and a good pressure of excellent quality water is assured.

At the. present time the camp is draw-l ing heavily upon the water supplying Papakura and Manurewa. While the' new source will be sufficient for normal requirements at the camp, should there be an excessive demand it will be possible to draw again on the town supply.