FUTURE WATER SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 8

FUTURE WATER SUPPLY

With the growth of Wellington's suburbs and the development of the Hutt Valley an expansion of water supply inevitably faces the local authorities concerned. This has been foreseen, and the establishment of the City and Suburban Water Supply Board, under a special Act, was the direct consequence. The principal local bodies within a metropolitan area of a range likely to cover probable suburban extensions were originally included, but t W o—the Borough Councils of Lower

Hutt and Petone —withdrew on the ground that they were assured of a water supply from artesian wells within their district. Whether these are likely to suffice in the far from distant future is another question to be faced. The evidence is that an artesian supply of satisfactory quality for municipal use is by no means inexhaustible and that the rapidly increasing drain of the underground reservoir provided by Nature may lead to either a reduction in quantity, a deterioration of quality, or both. The growth of suburbs along the Johnsonville railway and along the main line beyond, with seaside resorts like Titahi Bay and Plimmerton, constitutes another demand for water which cannot be supplied satisfactorily from purelylocal or underground sources. The question then arises of a wider scheme to supply the whole metropolitan area and supplement the needs of the city itself, dependent in prolonged dry weather, like that of last summer, from marginal sources like the artesian wells on Gear Island. The City and Suburban Water Supply Board has had a report prepared on several possible additional sources of supply like the Little Akatarawa, the Whakatiki, and the upper reaches of the Hutt and Pakuratahi . rivers, showing that there is no lack of suitable water, if the funds are available for tapping it for domestic and industrial use. The board has accordingly invited the co-operation of its member bodies in a more detailed investigation, at an estimated cost of £5000, the bulk to be borne by the city. As the Hutt and Petone boroughs still stand out, the board yesterday decided to consult with Mr. Mawson, who has in hand the town planning of the Valley on behalf of the Government. It is quite clear that with a population of 50,000, said to be contemplated by the Government, the Hutt Valley cannot hope to rely in the future entirely on artesian sources, and a comprehensive scheme will no doubt be necessary. It is important, however, that the problem should be approached prudently by stages in order not to overburden the district with excessive rates. Nothing grandiose, or of a nature far ahead

of the times, should be undertaken. With the financial prospects of the Dominion so uncertain, caution is highly desirable.