Talks planned on drainage

Press, 3 October 1979, Page 11

Talks planned on drainage

Alternatives to proposed stormwater-drain improvements will be discussed at a meeting between Kaiapoi Borough councillors and the council’s consultant engineers, after doubts were expressed about the costs involved at a meeting of the council’s works committee. Councillors considered priorities for work on the Bowler Street stormwater drain that included the installation of a floodpumping station and floodgates together with the upgrading of the Feldwick and Dudley drains.

The engineers’ report on the stormwater-drain system said that the two projects were dependent upon each other. The first stage, the installation of a floodpumping station, could begin in about 18 months after finance arrangements and approval had been completed. Total estimated cost of t.e work was $183,000 with additional loan finance of $lOO,OOO required.

Cr H. Cumberland said the Feldwick and Dudley drains had been upgraded only between two and three years ago, and he asked if it was possible to install the flood-pumping station without upgrading those drains.

The engineers’ report had recommended that the two pumps in the Feldwick and Dudley drains be used in the new pumping station. New pumps of increased capacity would be installed in the drains. Cr Tie said he was concerned about the number of schemes the council

had undertaken that turned out to be inadequate a few years later. The siting and capacity of the pumps first installed was an engineering problem, and it appeared the engineers had been badly advised, he said. The works superintendent (Mr G. R. Holmes) said the pumps had been installed when the area was mainly a rural catchment. and at that lime they had been of sufficient capacity. The cost of the Bowler Street drain from the Ohoka Road to the Kaiapoi River was $lOO,OOO and the floodpumping station was $27,000. Two new pumps at about $ll,OOO each brought the cost of the pumping station up to $49,000. The Feldwick and Dudley drain improvements were estimated at $56,000. A saving of $50,000 would be made by excluding the drain improvements and buying the new pumps for the station, said Mr Holmes. “We cannot risk that amount of i..oney being spent with the possibility remaining of further flood ing or replacement needed again in a couple of years because the engineers were ill-advised,” said Cr Tie.

Councillors agreed that a meeting should be arranged with the consulting engineers so that their questions could be given full answers, and a detailed account of costs and alternatives presented to councillors.