NIHOTUPU DAM

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 118, 21 May 1945, Page 3

NIHOTUPU DAM

CONSTRUCTION WORK

NUMBER ONE PRIORITY

Good progress has been made with the preliminary work involved in the construction of the earth-fill dam across the Lower Nihotupu stream, for which a tender of £286,412 was accepted by the City Council in February. Advice that the project has' been declared a No. 1 priority work has been received by tne council from the building controller.

Accommodation has been provided on the site for some 80 men, facilities including messing, living and sanitary arrangements. At present the contractor has 28 men employed, 16 of them on the diversion tunnel, where three shifts are being worked. The main machine shop and compressor buildings have been completed and work has been commenced on the preparation of a site for piling earth that will be used in the embankment construction.

A fire belt has been formed on the western side of the dam site and a start made with the burning of the area. Drainage of the river flat is being assisted by a 24in pipe bypass to the weir. In addition to the contract, the job includes the laying of a 24in steel rising main from Parau to Macky's Rest, clearing of the reservoir site, formation of an access road, the construction of a pumping station and the erection of a telephone line from Parau to the Titirangi filter station. All work outside the main contract will be undertaken by the council The pipes and joints for the main have been distributed, the telephone line has been completed and the survey of the new main road alignment has been carried out. Pipes in the 30in pipe-line between Titirangi and the city have been laid by council employees at an average of 66 a month over, the last three months. The intention was to organise two laying gangs, but labour difficulties have restricted the number of men employed to one gang of 27. With additional labour, it is expected that the line will be completed by the middle of 1946.