THE WATER SUPPLY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4408, 30 September 1871, Page 3

THE WATER SUPPLY.

Yesterday forenoon a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Dargiville and J. Yon der Heyde, waited upon the ProvincialGovernmen^'with reference to thopropoted company for Supplying theoity with water. The deputation was courteously received by his Honor the Deputy-Superintendent and Mr. Hurst, the Goldfields Secretary. ' The object of thedeputation was briefly stated to be to ascertain the mind of the 'Government' with reference to assisting the company in obtaining a water' supply from the Nihotupu rivflr, or, as it is generally known, tb© Waitakere river. The deputation wished the Government to concede to the company the exelusive water -rights of that itream, and also permission to lay pipes along the Manukau foreshore, to bring 'the water through Onehunga and Epsom into Auckland. — The Deputy - Superintendent "and Mr. Hurst heartily approved of the scheme, and pro. mised to assist the company in eveiy way, in their power. They desired the ■ deputation to send in their proposals in writing, ! when the matter would be laid before the Executive, and fully considered. The deputation, after expressing their thanks for the kind manner in which tkey had been received, withdrew. — While so much attention is being directed to the necessity of at once providing an abundant water supply for fchii city, it may ndt he deemed inappropriate to remind many who are not "old identities," that this is not the first occasion when expectations of this kind were about to be realised. The' sanitary condition of Auckland has been, often a theme of comment. In October, 1864, an Auckland paper wrote on this subject as follows : — "The condition of Auckland for want of proper drainage is, indeed, deplorable. Accumulations of filth and disgusting spots are constantly presenting themselves to the attention of the Inspector of Nuisances. It is utterly in vain for him to call upon the owners of the property on which they are found to remedy the evil : the means of doing co are not within their reach." The necessity was great then, but it is much greater now ; and there can be but little doubt that, if a good supply of water were provided, the death rate of the city would be considerably reduced. On the 30th June, 1864, Mr. Henry Wrigg sent in to the Provincial Government a report upon the water supply question, which reviewed in detail all the various schemes then in vogue for providing a supply of tbis necessary to health and cleanliness. His recommendation was in favour of obtaining a supply from the Waitakere ranges- the Nihotupu river— a scheme first proposed by Major Heaphy many years ago. " Tbe banks of the Nihotupu river are generally steep, clothed heavily with timber, and so is the entire watershed falling to the river above the proposed point of diversion." Mr. Wvigg proposed to divert the water a little higher up the stream than that indicated in a report on the subject made by Mr. Harding, and suggested that all the land forming tbe watershed of that river should remain public property, and that t mber. p elling should be strictly prohibited. The great degree of coldness iv the water Mr. Wrigg attributed to the constant shade in which the river was kept by the heavy forests on its banks. H o ascertained the temperature of the water at the .other places where it was proposed to bring a supply from, and the comparison was 5 • in favour of the Waitakere one, the Onebunga springs having been found to be 59" while tbe surrounding atmosphere was but 56-. So much for the water obtained out of scoria land. Dr. Knight made an analysis of the water, and pronounced it exceedingly soft, and well fitted for domestic use. Mr. Wrigg had a carefully constructed gauge on the Nihotupu river, from the 29th March to the 4th June, upon which daily observations were made, and found that tbe minimum quantity flowing in any 24 hours was 850,021 gallons, a quantity sufficient to supply a population of 28,334 with 30 gallons per head per diem, without constructing .any expensive storage reservoir— simply turning the river into Auckland by means of pipes. Tbe powers to increasa the available supply, he aays, ai c great. The drainage area is estimated at 1,500 acres ; and, as "SOin.'of rainfall may be safely calculated upon as flowing off this area, we shall have an annual supply of 1,016,121,300 gallons as capable of being stored in reservoirs. This would supply a population of 92,820 souls." He thinks the reservoirs should be made of sufficient size to contain 120 days' supply of water. After making an allowance for reservoirs and filtei ing-beds, he estimates that there would be a head of "834 ft. over tbe quay wall at Customhou3e-streefc." By such a fall lie estimates that the main-pipes would have at the Whau biidge a pressure of 3331b. per square inch, if tbe connection of tbe pipes \\erc uninteirupteil. To avoid such lie.ivy pipes which that pressure would render necessary, be proposes to construct a reservoir at an elevation of 663 ft. over tbe quay level in Customhouse-street. He also proposes to cousttuct the reservoir for supplying the service pipes in the neighbourhood of " Gilfilkm's corner," thehighe&t and lowest elevation of such supply being 3921t. and 342 ft over tlatnm line, which is 50ft. above the "quay wall adjoiniug Queen street pier." "The water entering the service-pipes at these levels could then be tin own with great force over any, building now erected or likely to be erected in an}' p.utof the district cinbiactng Auckland, P.vnell, Newmarket, Newton, Dedwood, -and Freeman's Bay locality, no point of land being excepted save Mount Eden. A jet of 90ft. or 100 ft. high may he expected in some places." It is proposed to construct a road from the Whau to tbe ranges along the centre of which the main pipes will bo laid at a depth of at least 4ft. He estimates that an expenditure of £44,461 14s. 9d., would provide a water supply for 28,000 in- ; habitants. The works would be so constructed that they could be extended afterwards if required'; and a total expenditure of i 89, 51 1 14s. would bring water to the city for 50,000 inhabitants, to which would have to be added— for piping in the city, £9,152 ; working expenses, £250 per anuum, capitalised at 8 per cent, i.3,125 : making a grand total of £101,788* 14a. Towards the conclusion of his report, be says, " Viewing the matter commercially, and assuming ab the outset that 16 per cent, on the capital expended would be realised, that is 12£ per cent, clear and 2\ per cent, for depreciation and sinking fund, tho annual income should he £0,069 ; theu a population of 12,030 would have to pay lla. Id. per head, or an average of £2 15s. sd. per house per annum; of 20,000, 6s. Bd. per head, or £1 13s. 4d. per house ; and for a population of 28,000 the rate per head would be 4s. 9d., or £1 3s. 9d. per house per annum."

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