OUR WATER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2683, 1 February 1916, Page 2

OUR WATER SUPPLY

•" WAINUI AND OKONGOEONGO WATJSK SITED. It is recognised now as absolutely essential i'oi- the future welfare of Wellington City that the whole of the watersheds of the W'aimii and Orongorongo Streams should be secured to the City Corporation for all time as the source of our water supply. Bo far the Orongorongo's (tow has not been tapped for qacnching tho city's tliir=t, but the tunnel line that will connect the stream with tho AVainui basins has already been surveyed, and possibly a start may be made with lift' construction ol' the tunnel this year. It is popularly .supposed that tho whole of the Wainui Valley above tlio reservoirs is already vested in the city. That, it is stated, is not so. One block of 34 acres (cleared land) is at present owned by Mr. J. Bovine. Tho City Corporation has offered Mr. Devino a blopK of 189 acres on the Sfungaroa watershed in exchange for his. holding, providing he erects a stock-proof fence along the line of the ridge, and maintains it for all time. It is understood that the owner is inclined to corsidcr the proposal favourably. In the Orongorongo watershed Jl.r. J. M. Bertram held a .block of 11G acres, whicii 113 has exchanged with the city for 23-1 acres in the Muugaroa watershed close by, agreeing to the fencing provision ro ferred to in Mr. Devi lie's case. There a-ro also three other holders of land in the "Wainui Valley, totalling in all about 250 acres (in bush), which the city authorities have decidcd to acquire, uiider tlie provisions of tho Public AVorks let. Having concluded these arrangements the City Corporation will be the holder's of. the fee of all the lands contained in the watersheds mentioned abovo the line of tho basins at Wainui.