TROUBLESOME DRAINS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14909, 24 February 1914, Page 10

TROUBLESOME DRAINS.

A MENACE TO PUBLIC HEALTH.

SPREYDON RESIDENTS INDIGNANT.

A meeting of residents in the vicinity of Xos. 1 aud 2 drains in tho Borough, of Spreydon, and others interested in the matter of remedying the present stato of affairs, was held in the Somerfield street Hall List night. Thore was a largo attendance, lf-r G. R. Whiting (Mayor) presiding. ' It* was explained that No. 1 drain enters the borough from the Show Grounds, draining about oO acres of the Waimairi county, crosses Lincoln road, and runs parallel with Barrington etreet to tho Heathcote river, near Duncan street. No. 2 drain rises near tho centre of the borough, drains through tho south-east portion of the borough, crossing Colombo street opposite lennyson street, and running clown the latter street to the river. . Tne Cnairnian said tlie drainage ot the borougu was onto or the moot important undertaking* before tlie Council. For some considerable time residents on both sides of Colombo street had complained oi tiie otlensive odours arising, especially from the No. 2 drain. Ho had found that several ratepayers considered tho drains were under t_o control of the Borough Council, but they wore not in any way responsible for" the control. Tho Drainage Board were tine responsible authorities. In warm weather bad smells emanated from both drains, and with children playing in tho vicinity, they and the residents were running a big risk. It was not hard to realise that something very serious might happen from this nuisance. Mr Whiting detailed early schemes for obviating the nuisance, and the Drainage Board had fallen in with the Council's present scheme in 'regard to No. 2 drain, bub No. 1 was not dealt with. The Council had gone as far as possiblo in its power to deal with the matter, and now considered it necessary to place the whole matter befoiva tho ratepayers, and they could pass a resolution which could be forwarded to the Board for consideration. In reply to a question as to the cost of the scheme, the Mayor said it would entail deepening and placing a concrete invert in each. It was a common thing for a couplo of feft or so of slime to accumulate, and the more drainage thoy undertook in the borough, tho more household drainage would be sent down th*> drains, and tho greater the nuisance would become. Mr "Whiting referred to a statement made by Mr Cuthbert. tho Drainage Board engineer, in his report on the matter, that no worms existed in either drains, as commonly occurred in foul water. It was also reported that only slight smells existed at times. Ho would like to point out that before Mr Cuthbert's inspection No. 2 drain had been flushed from No. 1 drain. He would undertake to tako anyon© to either drain and find the worms. A sob erne which left out No. 1 drain was of little use. Ho would guarantee that in twelve months' tirrta there would be inst ag big an agitation for remedy if Xo. 1 drain were left as it is. ' Mr Cuthbert estimated that tho Council's figures for their scheme were too low, but ho would guarantee that the Council would undertake to do th© work under the Board's supervision, and if their estimates were at fault they wouTu see that the work was carried out from the funds of thia general account. But he felt confident they could do the work for thniV e—nort.'s osfimaf*"*. Cr. XV. Tt. Wimor. enid thnt the Dmm ace Board had shown slackness of late, and rafennvprs naturalJv en mc to the..Council to" effect a remedy. Unless they had the hearty cooperation of tho ratepayers they might as well close down straight away. Thoy did not want to go into a £16,000 contract when £7000 would suffice. They could easily dispose of the larger sum, but they did not think it necessary. Tho Council's scheme covered both drains. No. 1 drain had a total length of 191 chains, and it was proposed to deepen it 4ft for 54 chains from the river and from Milton street to Lincoln road, 137 chains, to deepen it slightly to the top. It was also proposed to put in a 4ft x 4ft invert in the lower portion, and in the higher part a 3 x 3 invert. Tlie total cost of No. 1 drain scheme would 1)3 £5140. Regarding No. 2 drain, they would have 13 chains of a 2ft 6in barrel drain from Aylraer street to the river, necessitating in places excavation to some depth. Then there were 51 cnains of deepening and 51 chains of 3ft invert. This would then give them greater carrying capacity. The estimated cost would be "£2203. The Drainage Board estimates exceeded that by 100 per cent. The Drainage Board scheme included the drainage of tho water up to the highest point of the system, which Would necessitate 10 to 12ft of excavation, but tho drainage of the borough was naturally towards the Heathcote river from the top of Lincoln road, and tho Board's scheme for tapping the water from the lower area near Colombo street to a point half-way in tho borough was almost impracticable. Their aim was to take away all the water in the borough, and a portion in the West .Ward was the only part not touched by their scheme, but they had an adequate scheme for draining that part. Mr W. Kerr suggested that No. 2 drain might be dono nway with, but it was explained that the fall was asiainst such a scheme; both the Conned and the Drainage Board considered Tt impracticable. Mr H. C. Lane said the whole scheme was based on tlie supposition that there was 4ft of fall to spare at the river end. What would be the result of a flood causing the riyer to rise 4ft? Mr Winsor explained that in time of a normal flood the position would be tho same as at present, but it would be next to impossible to provide against abnormal floods, except that the flood water would get away much quicker when tho river went down. But they ought to provide for moderate floods, and their scheme would, except under extraordinary conditions, obviate all nuisa nee. Mr J. W. Corbett expressed disappointment with tho scheme, in that once they started to disturb the levels their troubles would commence. They would strike quicksands, and would soon find the Drainage Board's estimate well within the mark. What they ought to do was to start from the bottom and keep to the present levels and concrete all the way up. Once they went down further it was goodbye" to their scheme, aud £20,000 would not cover it. Tho Mayor said they realised the difficulties facing them in the shape of quicksandsj but experts informed them that the trouble was no more seriou3 than in other countries, and once an expert took the matter in hand ho could easily overcome apparent difficulties. They were satisiied from the advice of experts tbat their scheme was practicable. Mr J. Down, member for the district on the Drainage Board, said he was not taken with the scheme proposed. He considered some of their estimates ridiculously small. He had spoken tp residents of tinreydon, somo of whom had worked on the drain, and they strongly deprecated touching the bottom of the drain, ns the quicksands would land the Council in serious trouble. The scheme for deepening 4ft meant that tho fall came, to nothing at Barrington street, and that to his mind was a fatal delect in the scheme. That part was one of the worst in the borough, especially in flood time. He had during his term on the Drainage Board been struck by the accuracy of

the engineer's estimates, and he thought liis iigures in tue present scUoiuo wero very near tho mark. ALr Winsor said they did not object to criticism of thoir scnerno, but it the Drainage Board could propound a more feasible scheme, they would oniy be too wiiiing to consider it. Considerable discussion ensued as to the merits oi the respective iigures submitted by the Conned and tue Board, the Mayor suiting that they did not consider they would be justihed in submitting a moro cosuy scheme to the ratepayers, when they were confident thoy could do tlie work ior _7IX/0. .Mr J. Hadiiold moved:—"That, seeing that tho Chriitchureh Drainage Board has adopted the s-chemo advocated by tho Spreydon Borougn Council ■ tor improving the Xo. 2 cram, thus ob- ; \-iating the difficulties that exist to-day j with regard to flood water ami its present unsatisfactory slate, this meeting j of ratepayers respectfully urge the Drainngo Board to approve of the '. scheme advocated by the Borough Couiicil for the Xo. 1 drain, as this j drain, in our opinion, is equally as bail and offensive to the resident* and just as great a menace to public health as Xo. 2." Mr J. Butterfieid seconded the motion. Mr IT. C. Lane moved an amendment: —"That no scheme for drainage will bo acceptable unless it lias the approval of the Drainage Board, and is designed to meet tho requirements of the borough as a whole.'' Mr J. Diack seconded the amendment. Tbe amendment was lost, and tho • motion carried by an overwhelming majority.