SEWAGE AT WOOLSTON.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14099, 19 July 1911, Page 6

SEWAGE AT WOOLSTON.

REPORT TO THE DRAINAGE BOARD. Correspondence from the Woolston Borough Council, covering a petition from Woolston residents, on the question of tho nuisance caused six w_el_ago by sewage being discharged down the outfall drain, was road at laat night's meeting of the Drainage Board. Tho Board's Engineer reported that at tho earnest solicitation of the foreman at the farm, who was afraid that the new culvert being constructed und-ir tho plantation rosorve might be seriously damaged, he sanctioned a very limited amount of pumping down the outfall j drain on Sunday night, the llth nit. ! The valve was opened to tho extent of j a few inches only, and such could not! have made any appreciable difference as regards flooding; but unfortunately a littlo sewage seemed to have escaped, which was reported to him by the Woolston Town Clerk. Ho aakod him to have this cleared away, tfhieh he did, and the cost of so doing amounted to 4s, which he thought went to b!iow that thero was not very much to deal with. The culvert recently constructed under Cuthbert's road and the one under the plantation reserve were being put in with the solo object of providing for tho disposal of flood waters delivered from the pumping station, and had tho weather held good for another week this culvert would have been finished, and tho incident under notice would not havo occurred, nor was it likely to occur again, except in case of somo contingency which could not bo foreseen. | The petitioners were altogether astray |in their statement that although mii creased power was provided at the station no increased means of discharge to the sea were provided, seeing that a new second discharge main of 27 inches diameter has been laid to the farm, and other extensive works ihave been undertaken there, tho last of which are the two culverts before mentioned, to carry off the flood water. They farther stated that "sewage is not infrequently added to the storm-water," whereas, as a matter of fact, nothing of i the sort had happened since February I Ist, 1910, when the race at tho farm . carried away and tho occasion before ! that was on "March 30th, 1909, when j tho basoment of tho pumping station was flooded, and in each of these cases I for a few hours only. Mr Cuthbert added that no blame was Attachable to tho Board; he must take j the entire blame, if any. It would j not occur afeain. Tho Chairman (Mr Walter Hill) said that the only circumstances in which complaint might arise were the break- , down of tho machinery or of tho . arrangements for carrying the sewage :to the farm. j Mr J. Richardson Baid that the ■ Woolston Council was somewhat wroth ! over tho matter, as ho believed that ;on three previous separate occasions the Board promised that sewage matter would not oc pumped down the outfall drain*. In view of the facilities provided for tho carrying of sewago to the farm, he was satisfied that they would carry all tho sewage from tho city for some years to oome, and if this could be proved conclusively to tho Council, he did not doubt that it would give the matter serious consideration.- The reason that the amount charged by the Council for cleaning tho drain waa so small was that prior to getting the Board's authority to get the work done at tho Board's expense, some expenditure waa incurred and charged to the Woolston Council. On the motion of Mr Richardson seconded by Mr Down, it was decided: — fc That tne correspondence be received, and that the Board express regret at the occurrence, and appends the Engineer's report on the subject."