DUNEDIN WATER SUPPLY.

Evening Star, Issue 16993, 15 March 1919, Page 6

DUNEDIN WATER SUPPLY.

TO THE EDITOR. .Sir, —In a letter by I)r Macdonald published in Wednesday's issue it is asserted that the time of storago in the Rosa Creek reservoir cannot bo 50 days, because we 'use 44 million gallons a. day 5 therefore the water cannot bo longer hero than about 11 days. Tliis foolish assertion is typical of everything the doctor has said about tho water system. For those who do not know, I may say that there is a reservoir at Burnside fed by a water race aboat 19 miles long, which brings in tho Silverstream water. From ..this reservoir Ibo average supply is over two million gallons a day", and Is "continually increasing. The capacity of this reservoir is about 23 million gallons, so that when it is full water is stored in it for about 11 days only. When it is half-full tho time- of storage is only 64 days, and so on. When it is about empty the time of storage vanishes—a state 'of affaire that has to be strenuously opposed. This reservoir serves tho low lovels of the City. St. Kilda, Anderson Bay, and Green Island. Wingatui is supplied bv tho raco in passing. After a few week's of dry weather this supply bogins to fall off. The result is that the pressure on tho Flat foils, and there are complaints that ladies cannot get their washing done on Mondays; that if a fire broke- out there would be gravo danger, etc. The- fire difficulty is arranged tc-r, but at the present moment a cry from Kavitano is reaching the committee that all day long there Is not water to -wash tho babies. . , There is another reservoir in tho Leitn Valley, the Sullivan dam, fed by water from'the Waitati and from tho Leith. This dam holds about 30 million gallons. Tho suppiv from hero is about a million and o-halt gallons a day. The storago here is about 20 days. On the way to town this supply is augmented by tho flow from tho west branch of the Leith and by Morrison's Creek. Those creeks are only taken in when running clear. They are shut off by long-distance electric control as soon as rain begins. This dam supplies Maori Hill. Roslyn, Mormngton, the high levels of the City the (Wisham heights about Calton Hill, Kevr, .and St. Clair. It supplies the old Valley Ward also, and the Borough of West Harbor and sa soon as pines can be secured it will suppiv the Anderson Say heightß. This sunoly never fails; but it has to bo drawn upon to help the southern supply in day weather. Thou the people, at tho top 01 B,oslyn and about. Halfway Bush suffer for want of pressure. Thus from tho southern supply we have in good times two million gallons a day, and n-cm the .Sullivan dam I 4 million gallons—3£ million gallons altogether out of the 44" million _ gallons we use. The remaining one million gallons a day comes from the Ross Creek supply. As there is a certain amount of settlement in tho catchment of this supply, it is necessary to make tho storage as long as possible. So, as long as tho dam is .about full, the storage is over 50 days. Thus is another of tlio doctor's false- cries nailed, to tho counter. The water from the south .imd from Boss Creek is accurately measured by meter. Citizens aro invited to call at tlie Town Hall and soo tho records of these measurements. A few years ago the draw from tho Boss Creel: reservoir averaged only about half a million gallons a day. It is now practically a million. About two days a week it exceeds the million slightly ; on the other five days it is und-ar the million. Tho doctor says in his book that storage only is needed for impure water. I do not agree with this. Ho opposes tho bringing in of water from tho cleanest catchment available. I propose, with your permission, Mr Editor, to return to tin's all-important subject again, not to triumph over anyone, but because I believe it to be of vital interest to the city. In throwing up the sponge, Br Macdonald appeals unto Cresar. I appeal to the men of Dxmedin who have tho health and prosperity of this fair city at heart, to help me to bring in an abundant supply of good water. VVivda and mothers o"f Dunedin, help me that babies may be bathed, and washing may ho done, and gardens watered without stint every day in the driest of -summers. —.T am, etc., Isaac Giieen, Chairman Water Committee. March 15.