WATERMAIN BURSTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 11

WATERMAIN BURSTS

LAMBTON <QUAY MESS

SHOWROOM! FLOODED

One of the most jspectacular messes ever'- seen in' a . Wellington shop . occurred at 2 a.m: ,today through the bursting of the 21-injbh watermain from h Wainui to4he BelllKoad reservoir.- The main runs along the'east side of The' } Terrace, a foot "or.jtivo" out from the r kerb, and. the bursstii occurred opposite s Masonic Chambers,;,'. aiid immediately :- above the premises of Messrs. S. S. ,1 Williams and Co., 'Ltd., in: Lambton Quay. The back otfyihe. shop, which is a very-old wooden j building, lay some 40ft below the maiiv and-as the -bank is almost vertical;. /the. .rush of water, was tremendous. . iCJuite a volume .of water is contained '-his a 21in main,; and the pressure at thisf point is estimated at,some 1201b to the square, inch.. The force and extent of jthe-.flbw was to be seen later this morning in the. way in which the rotten ri>ck and soil had been, scoured out. toj; a depth of about acouple of';feet. j .... .•■•.:■ ... .: . .The accumulation tof water and silt at the back of the did building forced in some of the planiks,' and - the furniture showroom floor! was' covered to a depth "of over a 'fooli tin places with, a thick yellow sludge,]-which found its way through the shop and out on .to the footpath in' Laird Won Quay.-, The mess was still beir4?I:cleared up. at midday. .'.-...•.:[' : '■..''''■.';■ \■■■■;■: The' necessary emergency organisation was; made use! of by the' City Engineer's departmen^y and the supply, was immediately-turned off. - The.retaining .wall at Mee'sj. Steps was: not affected. Although tj.ie City Council accepts. no liability '• ; for such occurrence?, assistance was; giyen' the 'proprietors .to clean- up Ith'e mess in the shop. A gang of-'3O men was engaged in the:cleaning-iip process from early, this morning. ; ~■•' ;';' .'■.'■', ;' - {POSSIBLE CATJSEI OF BREAK. 'The main;was laid (out of the 1910 waterworks loan *wheh .the. ' late Mr. W.; H. MortonVas Citjj Engineer. The cause, of the ;break' hgis. not yet been ascertained, but it is thought to be due to a faultyi joint. Receint improvements effected to;the city wajter supply..have reduced -any' danger; of shortage of water, due to similar Recurrences, it is stated..; 'In this..instance the demand was taken up by the.new feeding main running from Karori. Reservoir as a safeguard; to- accidents)' of1 this /kind. The . effect'of/the- brei-.k, on :,the city .water: supply pressure j was practically negligible. Repairs are1 being effected. In- the meantime- residents in the area served are riot affectedL • :: , ■■': : .The furniture, in they hop had. mostly been removed /by-111,a.m., but the ground floor looked asl though a, flood had-, been*:through 'it.. ■■... At- the back a gang of., men. was -still; ;; filling ■. jyheel-. barro\vs with,- rotten- j.rock .-.arid silt,; scrapihg/up.the mess\.o>f the- linoleum arid, carpets with shovels,'; and; using can's 'and. other ,'u'tensiljs.to, cart V "the debris out.: to-..the /street, as the/job nearedits end. The firlm concerned/is under1 the impression tiiaj, though the stock is: covered' againS.t. earthquakes, it isVnot covered by ma urance -against this form''of[damage. Rolls of linoleum wiffi. a '"high water mark", stoqd-^dis-cpnsplately in rows;," arid! a Chesterfield couch-was; standing on* I its end, in /the jnudi.■'.'." ••■'. ■".■■■' .:.''-./.■ •.-''. '-"-'i ■• : ■ /•'■''.>■ -.:'.,.•■•■•'.