WATER SOURCES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 39, 16 February 1943, Page 4

WATER SOURCES

VISIT TO WAITAKERES

CITY COUNCIL INSPECTION

Many miles of country in the Waitakere Ranges were traversed to-dav bv members and officials of the Auckland City Council when a detailed inspection of the city water supply was made. After visiting various depots in the citv the party went on to the filters at "Titirangi. The two dams on the Nihotupu Stream were next visited, and the lower areas of the valleys of both the liuia and Nihotupu watersheds viewed. In both these valleys it would be possible to build additional dams. The party then went on by the Scenic Drive to Pukematekeo, the highest point at the northern end of the ranges, from where there is a wide panoramic view of the watershed areas and of the forested slopes of the city's extensive waterworks reserves.

The City Council has under consideration the augmenting of the city water supply to meet the heavy demands on it every summer as the result of increased consumption for domestic supplies, and the rapidlygrowing industries. Reports are being prepared by city officials, and the" council is to make' an early decision on the next major step to be taken.

In the Hunua Ranges, over 30 miles south of Auckland, a large area of high land has been already secured as a catchment area, and attention has been directed to 1 the main streams in the Mangatangi and Mangatawhiri Valleys, which have a dry weather flow much greater than the streams in the Waitakere Ranges now maintaining the present supply. Water from the Hunuas would flow by gravity, and the pipeline would pass through the big Westfield and Southdown industrial area before reaching the city.

To-day's inspection was the most important made of the watersheds for a number of years. After the long dry summer the level of water in all the four dams is steadily falling, but the main difficulty at the present is due to the limited capacity of the pipeline to the city, which is 17,000,000 gallons a day, being barely equal to the average recent daily consumption.