THE WATER PROBLEM.

Evening Star, Issue 17313, 29 March 1920, Page 3

THE WATER PROBLEM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—When I read' your article or. the water supply* this evening and your reporter's strictures on tke Silverstream supply I must say I was taken aback at, the statements made; but as one story is frooVl until another ; s told, I suspend my judgment until I hear tho engineer's defence, and, if possible, go over the Silverstreani ground myself. I was present at the starting of the Powder Creek pump, but did not know that some of the water pumpd up into the Silverstream race should have already found its way there by gravitation, and viewed with an amount of contempt tho council's past inaction in fa.ciug the water problem. I noticed, too, when motoring to the pumping station that an area (on the

side of the hill round which the Silverstream runs) looked like an oasis, and was told this was due to seepage; that a slip had taken place, and a land-owner had complained that his. land was being rendered useless by this seepage and landsliding. These statements bear out the fact that tho race is an expensive tiling to keep up. In your leads; you say "the settlers in the Lee Stream catchment will have to be bought out." When at a recent council meowing I criticised the policy of the council ill past years one councillor stated that I had ■ launoheVl out "into a tirade of abuse," and had said things better left unsaid—he evidently did • not understand the difference between abuse and honest criticism; and another councillor passed along a note to me with the following querv and information:— "Do you know that ft was in 1918 that the Bill was passed allowing (he Dunedin City Council to take the Lee Stream under proper conditions? Further, it is on'.y a few months ago that arrangements have been completed with the owners of the property ,that is required. When does the long delay .come in?" My answer would be: What was done in the meantime between 1902 and 1918? But it eeems by your statement that even now we have not a clean run? From my present knowledge—and I think I have put as much time (and, may I add, have used as much inteliijence) as tho average councillor—and with "the articles of yourself and your reporter before me. and. taking all facts available to me iuto consideration, I still stand by the Lee Stream proposal for the following, among other reasons: (1) The available sources of supply, according to the 1916 joint report by It. Hay, M.1.C.E., and our City engineer—omitting the Lee Stream and Fortification Creek, which aro set down respectively as 4.032.000 and 1.008,000 gallons a day—are: Ross Creek, 125,00 gallons"; Waitati-Leith, 677,400 gallons: Morrison's Creek, 125,000 s;aKoiis; Sjilverstreem, 389,300 g-allons: making a total cf 1,316,700 gallons. You have not space *or quotations, but these are minimum quantities, the Silverstream rising upon occasion up to 800,000 gallons. Apparently the 4,032,C00 gallons per day from the Lee Stream was an underestimation, for tho circular we have received during the past day or two says: "The water flowing over the Lee was measured just before the rain enme at th*> driest period of this summer. The flow was then 10.000,000 gallons a day." (2) Assuming that the Rilverstreim supply is sufficient for ■mmediate neoei-sitiss, where is water to be stored during the time? How long will it take (two years, economically working?) while the southern reservoir is being cleaned out and extended to double its capacity? (3) Assuming that this -iffic'ilty can be overcome, \vh - it about tho 'iinuediate future? ■ (4) Piping has been sticcestecl to prevent percolation and evaporation : but what will the expense be. and what is it now? (5) Is it not better tc face the problem without any more dillydallying? We have already spent more than enough in makeshifts to ha 'e brought the Leo Stream in. Hawea and Wanaka are talked of as a source. With this project I am in accord, but we have to learn to think in continents before ihis consummation is arrived' at. We want water, we want tram extension, and we want a Town Hall; but we have always been thinking of the immediate present, and are spending more in the long run than we would if we tackled our problems resolutely at the outset. 11 v- nur tinkering with the water supply we have already spent more in makeshift than the Leo Stream tunnel and the piping would have cost. We must provide for the future en a larccr scale than in the past. Should we not blame ourselves because we have neglected our cine duties? AVe do nothing more than drift. We are drifting now into a. cataclysm. What are wo to evoid it? As individual councillors we should not throw the blame on our responsible officers, but each do his bit. Wo do our work too perfunctorily, but we do it as well as ratepayers deserve—and perhaps better. Wo are money mad, and sometimes leave our public affairs to these who have axes to grind. Naturally, this is a hurriedly letter, and I have written it without consulting ny officials; so ratepayers can put what value upon it they choose, according to whether they think little or more of ray opinions. But, taking all facts known io me into consideration, I am going to vote for tho Lee Stream iGan and recommend all to do the same.—l ain, etc., March 25. Jajies Jeffery. TO THE EDITORSir.—Ro the controversy over this versus Lee Stream, the matter of arriving at a decision should be simple. If the City Engineer will take a Sew councillors with him and spend a few days camping by the Si'.verstream when in flood, or if it is a real "old man" flood, take a taxi and have a look at the miles of water on the lower part of the Taieri Plain, they will not require any gausje to certify to the amount of water coming down. In three days' flood enough, water comes down the Silverstream to supply Dunedin for six months. All that is required is storage capacity at a sufficient elevation, and the Silverstream will supply a population of 6C0,0C0. This storage should be constructed and • ">es laid to Dunedin (to ensure purit ' at a- fourth of the cost of the Lee Stream proposal, and no better water can be had.—l am, etc., Common Sf.nse. March 27. TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—There are many valid reasons whv : the ratepayers should vote against the suggested loan to bring in water from the Lee Stream. We are all agreed that an adequate water supply is a necessity. The only question is the efficiency of the suggested scheme. Firstly, there is a grave doubt as to the quality oi the Lee Stream water. Secondly, the cost is excessive, bein.tr not less than £300.000 before the completion of the scheme. Thirdly, the Silverstream scheme is capable of supplying all our needs at a fraction of the cost. I am sorry to write in opposition to the proposal put forward by the City Council. It is the firm conviction that carrying the proposal means extra taxation without solving the problem of our water supply that compels me to write you on this matter. —I am, etc., . James J. Marlow. March 29. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —T am sure that a very large majority of the residents in Otago must be very grateful to you for endeavoring to show them the weak points in the above proposed scheme and the folly of their votin's? on Tuesday next in favor of it. It is only to be expected that the City Engineer (Mr M'Curdie) will defend it, because, no matter what his private opinion may be, he is a paid officer under superiors, and must do as he is told, I presume. Right here I wdll remark that if there was never any evidence to show- tho necessity of doing away with the present silly system of government by amateurs of matters concerning a city on which the expenditure of vast sums of money is concerned, and the introduction of skilled and experienced experts instead, that evidence is now before ns. The present system is such a travesty that the wonder to me is that it haa not been relegated to the limbo of obscurity ages ago. I quite agree with " Maori Hill's " letter in Saturday's issue as to the cost being more likelv to*be double that of £162.000. Let tho people recall tho estimated cost of our tramway system, drainage, and electric lighting works. All these estimates were more than doubled, and that was in normal times ; and lately the properties in Otado have been and are. being revalued. What does this mean? More rates, anyhow, even without new works of great magnitude. As "Maori Hill" states: Let property-owners and tenants beware, and reflect on these things seriously before they vote. Let ns insist that the neglected state of the water races, etc.. be attended to at once, and thus bring about such an increase in our water supply that all this hustle about extravagant new schemes will be throttled at once. In any case, the whole business seems to me to be altogether too sudden. More time for consideration and more definite and direct information must be demanded by voters; and meantime, as we have a huge number, of iron tanks coming to Otago containing asphalt, let us get hold of these and fix them up to catch rainwater, to be used when necessary. The quality of the Lee Stream being better than Silverstream is a query. In any case, our household never drink water unless it is boiled, because we have seen the condition of vessels which have been deliberately used to test the condition of unboiled water.

| Cannot traps of some sort be arranged to catch these fish before they are able to work any destruction? It" seems to me that is a simple matter enough In thinking over this sudden proposal 1 am wondering why it was brought forward at such an unpropitious moment, uhen we are all up to our necks in financial troubles of ad sorts—’Wondering who is to blame for it, and who will reap the ; benefit of such a huge expenditure of ! money. _ In conclusion, I wish to slate 1 that I gne place, to no man in my desire Ito have our City beautiful and properly equipped m every -way : but there’s a limit to nil things, and this. Lee Stream business is just a bit beyond the limit. And Ido hope, as I know many others hope, that the poll on Tuesday will show that that last straw which broke the camel's back ! will not bo permitted to break the backs |of the people of Otago.—l am, etc., I , r , On Guard. March 29.