CITY'S WATER

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 93, 21 April 1933, Page 8

CITY'S WATER

LOOKING TO FUTURE

DIVERSION OF LOAN

POINTS EXPLAINED

Some farther aspects of the proposal to divert part of the balance of the 1920 "Waterworks Loan for present-day requirements .were discussed today by Councillor J. N. Wallace, who also replied to comments by a correspondent "Doubting" regarding the Orongorongo supply. ''Doubting" states that at the time the Orongororigo scheme ■was completed we were told we would have water for the.'next 50 years and that on this account the public voted for the loan," said Councillor Wallace. "It would be interesting to know exactly .who made this statement. A search made of the flies has failed to reveal that any such statement was ever made. On the contrary, however, on March 8,. 1920, the then City Engineer, the late Mr. W. H. Morton, in a report to' the City Council dealing with the Orongorongo scheme said, inter alia, that the Orongorongo scheme as constructed should be sufficient for requirements for a period of fifteen years or in other words until, 1935, when recourse would have to be had to some other form of development. Mr. Morton based his estimate on a maximum consumption of 74 gallons, per head per day. Actually it has been found fdnce then that the consumption, of water due to increased facilities is nearer a maximum of 80 gallons per head, and this figure has been allowed by tho present City Engineer. PROPOSAL ABANDONED. "No new dam was included in the proposals voted for by the ratepayers in 1920. This dam formed portion of a different scheme originally considered by Mr. Morton, but he abandoned the proposal after he had the test pits put down for foundations. A suitable foundation was aot found at 60 feet, making the cost of the dam prohibitive, and recourse was then had to the modified Orongorongo scheme as voted for in 1920 by the ratepayers. In addition tho lower dam proposals gave- no assurance in the event of earthquake, and this proposal can now be definitely abandoned. "The Orongorongo scheme which was completed many years after it should-have been and after the, city s supplies in 1917 and 1919 were .within a few days of failure, has since served to carry the increment iii population of some 45,000 people which has taken place between 1917 and. the present time due to natural increase and the amalgamation of adjoining boroughs. The established minimum flow in the stream is, however, insufficient for it to be considered capable s of safely carrying any additional load. ■ "Dealing again with the statement made by your' correspondent 'Doubting,' I should say that if any engineer laid out a water supply catering, for 50 years' requirements ahead he could not possibly*be considered a satisfactory man for his job, as no local body could reasonably afford to expend at one time sufficient money for requirements for 50 years ahead. The interest, on the investment for such a scheme would kill it at its inception. "ECONOMICAL SCHEME." "One point which particularly Tecommends itself in connection with the artesian supply ■is that earthquake damage is almost entirely created within a few feet of the surface of the ground, and with proper design artesian wells are almost immune from damage and should be capable of being repaired within a few hours. This is a point which must be taken into consideration in connection with:the exceedingly economical scheme being put forward to the ratepayers next month. "It has been asked by a number of people why tho loan poll has been put to the ratepayers in .two sections, "said Councillor Wallace. "This is a- question which should be thoroughly clear in the minds of all those who have to help in the decision on May 3. The first proposal covers additional _ water supply for the whole of the City of Wellington and includes the supplementary artesian scheme and the provision of a trunk feeding main from Karon into the centre of the high:value business area of the city. The second proposal .covers, additions to service reservoirs, extensions of feeding mams, and improved reticulation generally in the city and suburbs. It is considered by the council that the first, amount asked for should be classified as absolutely essential to the "welfare of the city. In fact, it is looked upon as a very small sum from the standpoint of insurance of' continuity of supply. The second amount ,to bo voted upon .includes1 additional service . reservoir capacity at Wadestown, Karofi, and Brooklyn. SERVICE RESERVOIRS. "The Wadestown reservoir, will more than pay for : itself .in the saving of pumping charges, as it is proposed to install it at a much lower level than the existing Wadestown reservoir, and it will receive the water from- the Orongorongo by gravity. Furthermore it will eliminate . the excessive pressure on the lower services in Wadestown, which is now as high as^ 2501b to the square inch and which results in considerable trouble and an appreciablo extra wastage due to leaks. "As regards Karori, the population has rapidly increased during recent years, and the area is dependent for a continued supply on ai 20-mile pipe from Orongorongo. Only recently, as a result of a break in this main, the existing service reservoir was practically depleted, and had the break occurred during the slimmer period the whole of Karori would have been without water'for some time. ' As far as Brooklyn.is concerned the existing tank was built in 1908, and is not at all adequate for the district today." Speaking of trunk mains in the city Councillor Wallace said that the whole of the eastern suburbs comprising portions of Hataitai and Melrose, and all of Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, Eongotai, Miramar, • and Sea/toun, were almost • wholy dependent for a continued supi ply on one 12in main. That meant : that a population of some 18,000 would be without water if the main burst. i " In splitting the loan into portions the • council Mt, that the first, being absol lutely eiscntial, should be separated i from the second, which was very much 1 needed but which, if not carried, would not leave the main water supply • of Wellington in jeopardy as it is at • the present time.