CITY WATER SUPPLY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 204, 22 May 1908, Page 7

CITY WATER SUPPLY.

■ DUPLICATION OF WAINUI M. / : APPROVED BY THE. COUNCIL. SALT WATER ; NOT WANTED. Tho City Council received last night from the - Fire Brigado Committee- an interesting report from tho City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton), and-tho Fire Brigade.: Superintendent, (Mr...T. .T.-Hugo). on a: proposed scliomo for supplying salt water for -fire prevention purposes, with the alt&rnativo of an oarlj duplication iof the Wainui main. Tfio two officers named reported having carefully, considered the question of providing a system for ooiivoymg from the harbour,^o permanent:positions about tho city Bait, .w.ater . for. : usein. ..cases of - emergency : for fire prevention purposes.. They stated .that - such • a . system would be of service in supplying that portion of tho city'.'abutting on tho foreshriro of the hiirbour; say between • the harbour front and Lambton Quay, Willis Street,. Manner- Street, and ' Courtenay Place? The pipos'.would require to be cap-ablp.of-discharging 1000 gallons per'minute, which, is; tho .oapacity 'of .tho, larger* of the two-fire, engines, at-tho central, station. The seaward ends of, theso pipes would be below low-water, level, and laid with a fall of one :. in 1000 to-their.,terminating points. Xfnt'ermediate for drawing,' off water at oonyertiont, places should be provided. ' Pen-" stocks,- should bo piacoa near' the ■ iiilets to the pipes*at tho harbour front in order to koeprsaino:: permanently :'charged.;.with fresh wator. .... -The obstruction • caused', bv the - growth, 'of , mu%ls: 'would 'in . a sliort ■ timo render, isamo'"'of ' little ' use' .'otherwise' • .The advantages- of ' such a system are' that a reliable supply of water would always; bo avail-' a ,blo,' ; for; fire extinction in caso of' tho town supply,'being cut off.'. > Tho/pipes conveying - the(,water; to -tho \tahks, through, not being subjected . to great pressure, would not bo likely •to collapse, and bo rendered- entirely - usel&s3 even wnen' subjected to severe'oarthquako shock. The estimated cost af~th'o work : ,wt)uld i ;.be '£7000, including .the cost of wells ( fdr 'tho'suction pipes of tho fire engines.

/.THE wainui main. : ','-As, against' tlio..abovo proposal," the report procectls, "ivo. have siich'- tvould- bo. needed'after tho duplication - of f the main ' front 3Vaihui-o-mata has been completed. . Such a' main,.,if o£ steel, would give-.' greater, security against;.,earthquake 6hMkS',:thari 'cast-iro_ii piping,' and would be ': of, service' I ' throughout practically tho whole .' of 'j'the'Keity-' Miramar. - Tho. timo' has now.arriyed when ■_ the duplication of this ,m^iii'"^Wd ;< considered, with a yiew^ito'^placihg-a !loau for its: construction ■ befofe'-the •ratepayers. Tho city-lias grown. - c6niiderably>'.'.during.'-the. lastfew-'years. .; Northlaiid .and■> Wadcstown have yet 'to bo' ■,supplied. Tho. Council has . ontered into an agreement to supply .Mitamar with ' Water:,' Th'e;;;uildpnbted weakness of ' s};he : ' existing ; mam;:iits faulty location, and the 'difficulty .of-, access thereto, in narrow tunnels' and the ' undesirable' manner 'in iwhichvths"pipes are -joined, .constitute. ; a : gravo.danger at all times: : ■ Quite recently ].' the/iyater/iva's off for four days consequent upon a buret' in tho tunnel near .the" Wainui Post Office," in which, it; was . impossible l either, to ' knock \ put -th 6 /damaged, pipe or.' to, bring" a ' n'ow ; 'onb:into' ; position,' ltepairs 'of a rather : unsatisfactory 'natiiro' had "to" be./ made. Should'-'a- sbrious hurst occur iiitho tunnel through ; the ■Waiwetu" hills) a considerable time ! must^ Jelapse before, such can 'be .made. ■ right), again. A new tunnel . will 'be ' required r-through-'thd'W.iiwptu hills'for r the new'main; This' -wonld 'take . somo timo to complete, to nine.months. The new bridge ov6r ih.q~ ;Hutt 'River,, will probably be ■ completed -'in about and if: tho -tunnel-can'v, be'-proceeded' yvith.,contemporaneously with- tho 'bridge, tho. mainj'phould'rbp .laid'.-ai 'soon after tho completioiiVof theso Avorlis as possible.' ; ' - . FOR • KILBIRNIEi'AND. MIRAMAB. '■ ■'Iti~ : th'b -' event of- tho' existing' main being duplicated,-lit is/recommended that same ,bo in. a: tunnel for/futiirq. extension to Kilbirnie Blirato. the"' present', system; at 'suitable places. It is also recommended that ; .a,,service reservoir at a.' levelof aboiit'3oo feot above high-water mark'should be (constructed; in a! suitable '.position.'' The j»s^oit^|p' i bo'';capable'- of :holdinß one day's supply, for?thp\w)iole of the city.-This latterprovision;.would: servo to equalise , the pressures ;dur;ng the twenty-four hours, and with . a'■( reflux; 'fitted.; on ; tho niain' at the northern'- end .of the' city a : further guarantee 'of,ja'^^(iient- v supply^of water for: fire' ex-, tinction at all tiniG.s would bo provided. It . is also ;to bo • remembered that; in; a few mpnths ;a very much-greater reserve will be available . for the Karori' Waterworks, and after the provision of a duplicate main with tho. sorvice, reservoir, arid;the Karori. supply, there, need .be no danger' anticipated through the-failure of any ; par.t: of .the whole system. It miisi'alsp.'be remembered in dealing with the/matter' that:' it as; , possiblo;at.:all timesto pump.'water from tho foreshoro .with tho present-, appliances, although slight t dclay might' occur,in. getting firo engines to r w6rk. , , TOO MANY PIPES. '■ •"v'Tho j multiplication of the pipes now to .bo -fpuiul.throughout tho streets of;.tho .City is . becpimng' a. very serious matt-er, and is - f rcquently '-occasioning 'great : difficulty ■ in' dealing, :^rth.;matters -of .--'drainage./and? other works.--:It- is not. advisablo to have an unnec&saiy- addition to'tho present- network of ;;pipßSvin,' the streets of. the city.-' Taking tho preceding .matter into conBideration;. m aro strongly .of opiiiion that ■ beforo ; exnonding a laa-gc sum of money on a supply • which could be used only ; within a proscribed area, it -irill be.'wiser .to,procqed 'as ® a . rl J. a? possible with tho duplication' of tho \Vainui-o-mat-a 'main, -which -would, . bp of beiiofit. to f.tho 'bntirb community. : I Tho ••Fire"': Brigades '• Committee,. in. siibmitting; tho.above -reportj r'ccommerided that, inotead. of ■ approving the .proposed salt water supply... being; adopted, ~tbo Wainui-o-mata serviPo bb duplicated as sooi'i as possible, and thb matter bo referred to the' i'manco- Comnfitteo to ,take -. the necessary steps to raise ■ tho money.,for .fho proposed work.