THE LEITH POLLUTION.

Evening Star, Issue 16990, 12 March 1919, Page 4

THE LEITH POLLUTION.

TO TflK EDITOR. Sit, —I have been asked to deal with the points of interest in Dr Macdonald's letter in your issno of tho 10th on this subject.. He says that .be saw the ooze from Booth's piggery running down a ravine right into the Leith. This is quite untrue, as you xvill see by tho evidence already published in your paper. It may be safely asserted that not one drop from the pigsties get 3 anywhere near (lie Leith, being lost in evaporation and soakag-e long before it gets there. Tho little drop of water seen trying to get to the Leith, but disappearing before it gets there (as pointed out by J)r Fan's and others), is from natural springs in the bank of the ravine, a long way from the pigs; yet the doctor says he saw the pig effluent running right into the Leith. Tho point is that no water from this ravine was reaching the Leith at all. Tho doctor's next assertion is that he saw this pigs' fluid entering the pipe supplying drinking water to the, City. An honorable man under this delusion would have raised a cry as of murder being done. Ho -would have' run to the nearest telephono and called up the Mayor, who would have stopped it instantly; but no, he allowed, as ho thought, the citizens to be thus basely poisoned for weeks while he entered into a conspiracy with a friend to betray tho two committees of the council to whom ho is bound to give loyal help, and to have the fair name of the City held up to shame and ridicule all'over the Dominion. As a matter of fact, the Leith water, although at present not polluted, is not being used at all. Thus perishes an ignoble conspiracy. A Highlander is famous for loyalty and truth the whole world over. Is this man's real name Macdonald? He says that tho pipe was laid down nbont_ 15 months ago, and has neen m action ever .since. This is quite untruo. ft- waa laid down in 1916, although the intakes and concrete chamber were built and in use long before then even. This pipe has never been in constant use. Jt is an emergency pipe. It is only called on when we are driven to despair for water, and at such times there i« no effluent, getting anywhere near it. Ho says, further, that when he dTow attention to thp matter the, supnlv from this pipe was cut off. This is quite untrue, as it was never on, as may bo seen from your own reporter's statement when he visited the pipe with the doctor before anything was published. Tlie dorter wrote a book about tho Dunedin water supply, and published it last August. He g-Vcs therein all details of the supplv. creating the impression that he has studied the subject and knows all sources of pollution. Ho gives no advice in that book as to how to keep the, water clean in a settled catchment, but keeps Booth's dung-heap up his sleeve to throw into the faces of the electors now, to tho shame of the whole City. In his hook, he says that 40 to 50 days* storage is all that is necessary, " thereby giving the water plenty time for purposes of sedimentation and the devitalising and rendering innocuous all germs nnd parasites which find their way ' into it." The Ross Creek water is stored 50 days, and sometimes more. So, according to the first page in his own book, such as it is, the Leith water, even in a polluted state, may be drunk from this reservoir with impunity. He discards the idea of filtration altogether as too costly, saying " the question of enlargement alone deserves some consideration." In the Jotter under review ho states that his idea in letting the people go on drinking poison was to give him time to work up a conspiracy to get revenge against the Mayor. Town" Clerk, committee, etc., because ho thought someone told him some years ago that, he was talking rot. Was this fair treatment to the men, women, and children who were drinking the water he believed to be poisoned? Could any conduct be baser? The letter contains a rigmarole about some young trees that were planted and replanted some years ago. He seems to refer to them as a source of pollution, but this is due to Ins muddled diction. What, ho means if? that the committer wished to lease a paddock which is iiH in the drinking-water catchment. Now, lam one of those who wish there was more land fit for settlement round Dunedin, nnd who think that the country supporting the City should not be depopulated; except when actually absolutely necessary. It was not necessary to plant this paddock. No water was hpiilg drunk that came from it. The children of Dunedin need milk as well as water. Water from the paddock to got to the reservoir has to get through about 80ft of tight clay. Three or four feet of loose sand may make a filter, but 80ft of tight clay is a bar. Suppose the water <rot through tho 80ft of clav, avc have tho assurance of In - Macdonald on Dunedin water that 40 to 50 days' storage, will kill every microbe that got through tho 80ft of clay alive. Therefore, to plant trees and depopulate tho district to the extent of even this one paddock was a wrong to Nia City. The doctor blames the engineer and his men for not dealing with Booth's pig's. Tfo knows quite well that Booth's pigseries and other propertv are in other hands, and that tho engineer's men can only enter piggeries or other private property as trespassers or as spies, things they are not exne-cted to be. He knows also that many attempts have been made to get right of entry and search bestowed on certain of the engineer's men, and that the Government have always declined or neglected to act. There is much to learn about tho Dunedin water supply not to be found in the doctor's boofc or letters. If ho will spring another conspiracy or wild cat I shall he glad to school him farther. In the meantime, I may say that _ while the present evstem is admittedly and imperfect, it is in the hands of men who spare neither time, nor care, nor trouble', nisrht or day. all the year round to see that the- very utmost is made of it in both quality and quantity.—l am, etc., Isaac Gbken, j Chairman Water Conmnttee. City Engineer's Office, March 12.