BIG SEWERAGE WORKS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25321, 22 October 1947, Page 3

BIG SEWERAGE WORKS

PRIORITIES LISTED BY BOARD PROGRAMME OF £330,000 DETAILED priorities in a £330,000 programme of major sewerage and extension were set out by the engineer (Mr E. F. Scott) in a report to the Christchurch Drainage Board last evening. The first stage, he said, was work with a loan of £60,000 under a Board of Health requisition, designed to enable the Drainage Board to begin work on the relief sewers without waiting for new legislation and the raising of Joans. "It will cost £273,000 before v e are clear of flooding,” he added. Mr Scott was instructed by the finance committee to prepare the report “in view of the increasing residential and industrial development in the western areas and the present overloading of the sewerage system in Riccarton and Fendalton.’’ The report said that the first stage was:—the levelling of 40 acres for new paddocks at the farm; culverts and slabbing new outlet carrier from the septic tanks; preliminary work at Tuam street pumping station; new sewer along Fitzgerald avenue south and then along Moorhouse avenue to Antigua street. (This sewer, when completed, would enable the Matai street (No. 24) pumping station to be speeded up to deliver more sewage, and so give some slight relief to the present overloading of this RiccartonFendalton area); new sewer north along Fitzgerald avenue, as a commencement of the northern relief sewer. The second stage would be:—the connexion of the new sewers in Fitzgerald avenue with the main Tuam street (No. 1) pumping station by a new sewer along St. Asaph street; the Moorhouse avenue sewer would be extended to Deans avenue, Blenheim road, and an interceptor sewer laid to bring the sewage of South Riccarton (west of Division street) direct to Tuam street. This would be the first real relief ’to the gorging and overflowing of Riccarton sewers; the Fitzgerald avenue north sewer would be extended to intercept the Merivale area and provide an outlet for the No. 6 (Harrison street station) rising main diversion. This would give relief to St. Albans and Merivale. The cost of these sewers would be £73,000. The third stage would be to enable the extra flow of sewage to be handled by the Tuam street pumping > station, and might have to be carried out concurrently "with the second stage. The work was:—a new 36in rising main to the farm; new suction tank and additional pumps at Tuam street (No. 1) pumping station; reconstruction of the existing main outlet carrier at the sewage farm. The cost was estimated at £41,000. Extensions to West

“The fourth stage will then be preparing for extension of the sewered areas to the west, into Paparua County, by the extension of the Blenheim road main sewer to the present district boundary at Hanson’s lane, at a cost of £20.000.” reported Mr Scott. “No provision has been made for any sewers beyond the present boundary. At the same time, the Merivale relief sewer should be extended to Glandovey road, at a cost of £30,000 to give relief to the Fendalton-Bryndwr area. It is only at this stage that complete easing of the load on the Matai street station will be achieved. The sum of £49.000 is also provided at about this stage for sewage treatment works, which will have to be commenced before larger flows can be dealt with and before the Woolston trade wastes scheme (£45.000) can be implemented. Provision is made in the £330.000 schedule for the sum of £15.000 for Sumner sewers and pumping stations.” The progress of the schemes depended on the availability of steel wire for the pipes, said Mr Scott, replying to a question. The board decided to place its need for supplies of steel before the Minister of Works (Mr R. Semple) before he leaves for Australia on a mission to obtain steel.