WATER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 65, 10 December 1936, Page 8

WATER SUPPLY

Makara County Council’s Inquiry NEEDS OF TAWA FLAT For some time past it was been regarded as inevitable in certain quarters that the growing Wellington suburban settlements on the west coast must eventually obtain water from the Wel-lington-Hutt side. Tawa Flat (soon to be connected with the city by electric railway), Porirua, Titahi Bay and Plimmerton have no available pure and constant supply of water. What resources they have, apart from roof supplies, are more or less contaminated, so that there is only the one alternative —to get it from the other side of the hill. The urgency of the matter was brought under the notice of the Wellington City and Suburban Water Board yesterday, when the following report was presented by the town clerk, Mr. E. P. Norman:—

"The Makara County Council has been in communication with the Wellington City Council regarding a water supply for Tawa Flat, and hits now asked what the financial liability would be if the Ngnhauranga. PoriruaTitahi nnd Tawa ridings of the council were brought under the water board. These ridings include a population of 3728. as against 4305 for the whole county.

"There appear to be three possibilities: (1) For the water board as now constituted to supply water, when available as a bulk supply under section 13 of the Water Boards Act: (2) for ‘legislation to be obtained to brinj: Makara County, or a portion of it. into the water board; (3) for Makara County, or portion of it, to amalgamate

with the city, and thus become entitled to obtain water, electricity and other services as far as it is possible to supply them. A conference between Makara County representatives and representatives of the water board and city council seems to be the next step in order to determine the policy to be adopted.” The chairman, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said he thought that the final recommendation was the one which best met the ease. It seemed inevitable that the populated parts of the Makara County would have one day to be absorbed by the city. Mr. D. Bowie asked whether there was anything to report as to the Hutt and Petone Borough Councils again being represented on the water board. As far as be remembered, those bodies (after tlie visit to Akatarawa) had not turned down the invitation to rejoin the board. Mr. Hislop said the bodies mentioned had asked for figures, and these bad been prepared.. Tlie town clerk said that the figures mentioned had not yet been forwarded to the Hutt and Petone Borough Councils.

Mr. A. Parlane said that he understood that the bodies mentioned might come back to the board in connection with the preservation of the bush and the replanting of areas in order to preserve the sources of the river, but not as bodies seeking a mere water supply.

Mr. D. Bowie said it was rather a pity that the matter had been shelved. Finally it was agreed that a conference should be held in February, at which representatives of the Makara County Council, the Wellington City Council, and the water board would be present. After that conference negotiations would be reopened with the Hutt and Petone Borough Councils.