CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 81, 6 April 1943, Page 2

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

WATER PROBLEM To The Editor A cursory survey of the City i Council's water policy tabled last b Thursday is anything but coni vincing. A small supply at a big price to serve a limited population in a restricted area may continue with an additional dam or two for many ' years to come. The local bodies' j policy was to provide a supply from an unlimited source for not less than double the present population. - To prevent a progressive water policy being given effect to the City has opposed various movements for the formation of a water board. Had they not opposed the movement* a • standby supply would be available from the Lower WaikatOt at the present time. A further attempt to prevent a supply~of -water from, the Lower Waikato was the opposition , to the Waikato Supply Company undertaking to build the necessary pipeline from the river below Tuakau. The total cost of the work was estimated at £700,000, for which a firm price was received from a wellknown Auckland firm. This price confirms the estimates of the local bodies' engineers and is sufficient evidence that the estimated cost by the City Council engineers of the Karapiro scheme at £9,000,000 will require a thorough overhaul both in regard to planning and estimates. The proposal is to pump water from the river below Cambridge to a reservoir on a site to be selected. The formation of a water board will be welcomed by the population in the greater water supplyarea and will prove the solution of the water supply problem. E. H. POTTER, Ex-Chxirman of the Provincial Water Committee.