Underground Water Control By Catchment Board Not Wanted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 16

Underground Water Control By Catchment Board Not Wanted

“Your leading article on underground water in "The Press’ this morning emphasises the need for a single underground water authority in the Christchurch area and correctly reports my opinion that the need for its formation is urgent,” says the city engineer (Mr P. G. Scoular) in a letter to the editor of “The Press.” “I do not, however, ‘favour the Catchment Board as this authority’ as stated,” he says. “The “waterworks’ in Christchurch, in my opinion, includes the artesian aquafers, the wells and pumping stations, the reticulation and any treatment facilities which may be necessary in future. I consider that these are all so in-

timately related as to necessitate their control by one authority.

“The Water and Soil Conservation Bill provides that a regional water board may exercise such of the functions of an underground water authority as the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority may, from time to time, direct. 'The board cannot itself assume these functions. The bill proposes also that the regional water board shall be the general, but not necessarily the sole, agent for the Water and Soil Conservation Authority and the three councils to be established with it. “The administrative issues to be resolved could be quite complex but, in my opinion (which is not necessarily the opinion of the Christchurch City Council), the establishment of an underground water authority acting with delegated powers from the regional water board would not be inconsistent with the intent of the Water and Soil Conservation Bill, and would be in the best interests of the users of the public water supply of Christchurch. “Under present legislation an underground water committee can be established by the local authorities now. It is likely to be at least a year before the Regional Water Board could be in a similar position,” Mr Scoular says.