STORMWATER.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18461, 15 August 1925, Page 14

STORMWATER.

I ♦ _ DAMAGE AT HEATHCOTE. The recent heavy rainfalls caused considerable damage to the roads and hillside slopes ia the Heathcote County. Tho Heathcote Council, at its meeting last night, received a leDgthy complaint from itr C. H. Gilbv regarding a land slip opposite his property at Heaihcote Valloy, which ha claimed had caused his placo to bo flooded. The chairman (Cr. C. Flavoll) said the whole area was under flood water at one time. The slip was now being cleared. Tho letter was received Mr 11. S. E. Hobday advised that a length of road on the Summit road had slipped owing to the heavy rain, and as building was going, on iu the locality, he suggested that a rubble wall be erected to sustain further slipping on to the road. > The Council referred the complaint to the inspector. Inspector's Keport. The inspector roported that in Hillsborough ridiug the clay washed down on the Port Hills road made the road almost impassable in places, and up to the present all that could be done was partly to clear a track through for ' traffic. Ou all the steep hill roads slips and washouts had taken place, and much repair work was necessary. In the Heathcote Valley ridiug patching on Bridle Path road W3B continued until the heavy rain brought down a numbef o£ slips,.. which almost blocked tho road and silled the drains and water tables with "quid mud. Two extra men were employed with tho City Council mud cart to open up the drains and clear the slips. In two places the footpaths broke away, and temporary repairs were made. On the Dyer's Pass road, in the Cashmere riding, sixteen R.9.A. men were employed, and for the first week the weather was flne, and a good start was made. The broken weather since had practically stopped the work, but a start was now to bo made. Tho Public Works Department had put on some men to widen, and improve the road, and it had been arranged that the Department will So the parts most suitable for contracts. Altogether, the Department intended to employ 24 men, and £SOO was available for the work. At Boivenvalo the flood water washed out some of tho new tilling undor-water channels and part of tho covering over the new pipe line, besides washing a quantity of road metal into the channels. One serious slip and a number of smaller ones took place on the upper part of the Mt. Pleasant road. Arrangements were made for an extra mas to work on the road to remove slips from tho water-tables and get the road in order. On all the hill roads considerable damage was caused through slips and clay washed down on to tie roads and blocking water channels. On the flat tho land had been practically under water, and although many complaints were received owing to land being flooded such was the natural consequence of I the exceptionally wet winter and water from I steep hillsides flowing on to flat land. Up 1 sloppy that tho work of clearing them was I to the prosent the roadß were so wet and ' difficult, and the City Council's mud cart had to be engagod for the removal of slush.