WATER FOR HARBOUR BOARD

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1914, Page 11

WATER FOR HARBOUR BOARD

SEPARATE SUPPLY SCHEME, f CRITICISED BY THE MAYOR. The suggestion made recently by Captain D. J. Watson in a notice of motion to be dealt with by tho Wellington Harbour Board, that the board should acquire a catchment area for the purpose of establishing its own water supply, was commented upon yesterday by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) in an interview with a Post/ reporter. Mr. Luke said he would express his opinion without any hostility to the proposal. At the present time he did not think it would be advantageous to the board to carry it out. It was very difficult to fin«l near the city catchment areas suitable for providing an adequate supply of pure water j and it was essential for the board's purposes _ that the water should be above suspicion. It was used not only for boiler and tank purposes, but for drinking purposes on board the ships. A very large area, clear of all stock and human habitation, would bo needed. Such areas were all remote from the city, and the cost of acquiring it, making a dam, and constructing many miles of pipe would be great. It might be suggested as an alternative that wells should be bored to supply an elevated reservoir or a tower by pumping. But the experience at the Lower Hutt, where wells supplied the Meat Export factories and also provided a domestic supply, was that further sinking of wells would be objected to on account of the danger of reducing the amount of water flowing from those now in use., Tho City (3ouncil. said Mr. Luke, supplied the Harbour Board with water now for shipping at the rate of 5s per thousand gallons up to seven million gallons, with a reduction to 4s for each thousand above that quantity in each year. This 1 was equivalent, roughly, to a charge of 4s 6d per thousand gallons. The offices and workshops of the board were supplied at the rate of Is per thousand gallons (in the case of certain appliances the charge was 4d. and of public latrines nothing). Water for the men-of-war cost the board 'tis per thousand gallons. _ The board's charge to merchant shipping was 6s 8d per thousand gallons, .giving a margin of about 50 per cent, profit, which had to cover only the slight cost ot putting it on board. On the water supplied to warships the board's charge represented a profit of 25 per cent. _ ' Last year the total amount received by the council from the Harbour Board for wator was £5306. That sum, said Mr. Luke, would represent the interest and sinking fund on a large loan ; but _as against that must be put the standing charges on the upkeep of the board's own supply and the maintenance of the whole waterworks. He was convinced that the board would not be the gainer by the institution of a separato watersupply as compared with tho present system.