MINERAL WATER AT HANMER

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21746, 31 March 1936, Page 10

MINERAL WATER AT HANMER

Results of Survey

IMPROVED FACILITIES

SOUGHT

A survey of the mineral water supply in the Hanmer Springs district has been completed by the Public Works Department. The purpose of the survey was to ascertain whether there would be enough water available to justify the extension of the present bathing facilities —a step which has been advocated by such bodies as the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the Canterbury Progress League, the Automobile Association and the Hanmer .Progress League. Early last year representatives of these organisations approached the Prime Minister at that time (the Rt. Hon, G. W. Forbes) and sought his support to a proposal to extend the recreational facilities at Hanmer Springs. Mr Forbes visited the township with the deputation and was told that visitors to the springs definitely felt there should be* better bathing facilities not from the curative but from the recreational point of view. One idea wss to scrap one of the old baths and the other was to build a new one on the site of the tennis court. The old baths, it was said, were hopelessly out of. dat3, and they hzd hardly been touched or improved in the last 30 years. Asset to Christchurch The bathing facilities were . obviously falling off, and people were demanding something better.- They would not ues the old type of bath which was supplied in the gardens, and every 'visitor considered that the tourist should be as well catered for as the hospital patient. Hanmer Springs was recognised as be'ing a tremendous asset to Christchurch. It was the main holiday resort for the city, and it' was an important resort for the whole Dominion and for overseas travellers. The men's swimming pool was quite antiquated, and its facilities were out of relation to the needs of the community. Christchurch people would appreciate to the full any development works at the springs. Any expenditure on exploration for water would not be wasted. Mr Forbes agreed that urproverl bathing facilities were needed, and if there was ample water for present needs and* for a larger bath, there was no - question about the advisability of the work. He had always been of the opinion, he said, that if people realised the health advantages of Hanmer Springs more would visit the place. The whole problem was one of water supply, however, and the Government would not lose any time in .starting an investigation.

Flow of 75 Gallons

The investigations were commenced by officers of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, arid the work was continued by the. Public Works Department. , The -district engineer for, the department in Christchufch (Air F. ; Langbein) said yesterday tMt these investigations had just' been completed. Water had been struck at a depth of 250 ft, and a flow of 75 gallons a minute had been obtained. "The temperature of the water was about 130 degrees, which is about eight, degrees hotter than the supply from the existing well. When the well that now supplies the water was being bored the flow had been obtained at a depth of about 180 ft. Mr Langbein added that the flow would, be satisfactory if it was maintained. The bore that had been put down 25 years ago brought a flow of from 100 to 140 gallons a minute, but now it was giving only 20 gallons a minute. ~