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Evening Star, Issue 17311, 26 March 1920, Page 4

Ratepayers are now receiving a circular, | „. ± elated March 15, urging ! Water Supply, them to vote on Tues- . „ ■ day in favor of a loan of £162,000 to bring in a domestic water supply from Lee Stream. The circular which is issued from the Town Hall" and signed J.y the Mayor and Town Clerk admits that it will be at least five or six years from the time of, starting opera-tions-if the poll is carried and the money is raised—before any augmentation of the City water supply could be gained from such a source. It also says: li The only means known to the council to safeguard the interests of 'the City in the matter oi water supply is by tapping the Lee Stream." On the other hand, we wHi to direct the attention of our readers to an article in this issue on the Silverstream supply. The City Engineer stated this week that the Silverstream supply always fails when, most needed. He had previously -stated, m a report hv himself and Mv Hav in 1916, that "the Silverstream supply" had already outlived its usefulness informing the main source of supply," and he hinted at its ultimate abandonment. The facts now disclosed in the handling of the Silverstream system suggest utter indifference to its capabilities, 'with the object of discrediting it in favor of Lee Stream. Yet Silverstream's supply, ii properly handled, rather exceeds that of Leo Stream. Silverstream's catchment area is tin: smaller of the two, but is of an infinitely superior nature, being densely wooded country for tiie most part as against tussock and peat. Again, SilvcrstreiVm's catchment area is uncontaminated ; that of Lee Stream has settlement on it, and the settlers would have to bo bought out. Futhermore, we could not expect water fromj.ee Stream before six or seven vears at the earliest; with energy and expedition abundance could .be had from Silverstream by next summer. There is water at our doors. Some of it we are running to waste, some of it we do not attempt to tap. We protest, with all the force at cur command, against the statement in thu Town Hall circular that "the only moans known to the council to safeguard the interests of the City in the matter of water supply is by tapping L ee Stream." There are none so deaf as those who will not hear."