BOROUGH WATER

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 January 1926, Page 4

BOROUGH WATER

STILL A OF TROUBLE.

.“The waterworks have been'one of the bones of contention iwith the Borough Council, for the past twenty years,” declared Cr O’Brien last evening. The Council is still gnawing the bone. The .latest deltate on the subject was aroused in the following report, presented by the Chairman of the AVaterworks Committee (Cr J. B. Kent):— “About the Bth of this month I was advised by the Pumping Engineer that although working 24 hours they were unable to keep the water in the reservoir at a proper level (in fact, it was receding inches per day); obviously a serious situation as regards the water supply was brought about. Your Committee felt' compelled' to. take immediate action and have a strict testing made and matters rectified. With the concurrence of the Mayor and such Councillors as could be readily consulted, it was decided to ask Mr E. M. Williams (engineer) to make a thorough investigation, with power to have repairs made, etc., if found necessary. Mr Williams consented to act on being ■ assured that he would have a free hand in the matter. The work has now been completed and reflects great credit on the Engineer, whose report i$ now on the table. The pressure is considerably better than it has been for many years past, and the reservoir is being kept full with about fourteen Hours pumping per day. AVe recommend that a system for takiiig the pressure of the water in- different areas of the , town be installed to locate quickly any big leaks in tbe mains. The need for thlis is apparent when we consider the age of the mains and the many breakages we have had recently. It is also necessary to have a 1 keener inspection of all water supplies, so that leaky tasp'and pipes may be dealt with immediately. Unauthorised users ’of water should be at once prosecutedMeters should be installed in all premises where an extraordinary supply is used. Regarding the loss/of pressure due to fouling'of mains and the extraordinary draw-off caused by the expansion of the town. The Council will at an early date require to take into consideration the duplication of the present main. Such 1 newmain to be linked up with the present main at points to ensure better reticulation and more even pressure in all parts of the town.” The result of the investigation made by Mr Williams was set out'in the report, submitted by him. j The report of the Pumping Engineer (Mr C. McQueen) was also presented,, in which he stated that he had to arrange with the Chairman of the Committee to have a systematic search for leaks made. “Since the leaks have been fixed,” he reported, “I have no difficulty in keeping up the supply working two shifts. If a systematic search had been made when I reported the leakage last September, the wellhole boxes cleaned, out when I said they; required, doing, the three shifts would not have been required so long and the pump valves which were only put in at the end of last August, would not have had to be renewed so soort.”

Cr F. A. Kitchingham that' the Pumping Engineer’s A report really amounted to a condemnation of the Committee. Either the ex-Engineer or the Committee had been slack in their duties.. It seemed that somebody had been guilty of very grave neglect, and the efficiency of the pumps had been reduced to 59 per - cent. It seemed that it was only when there was a “sudden stir-up” that the pumps regained'efficiency. He was not going to' attempt to apportion the blame, but the position was decidedly unsatisfactory. He said that publicly, in all seriousness. Cr J. O’Brien: “It seems to me that the Waterworks Committee has got to defend itself!” o Cr Kitchingham: “I did not attack you.” Cr O’Brien said that if someone was too tired or too dilatory to attend to matters, it was not his duty, as a councillor,; to go. hanging around after tiiat man. Not so very long ago, councillors were throwing bouquets at; the Committee for the good work it was doing. Now the Committee was being blamed. He did not know what was wrong with some of the councillors. The Commitee was trying to do its very best, ahd being a member of it was no sinecure. He would not ffiind if Cr' Kitchingham was appointed a member.

“Small committees are most effective.” declared Cr Kitchingham. Cr O’Brien said that the,two reports were absolutely contradictory, and he did not see how the Council could adopt theln both. 1 It was finally decided merely to “receive” th.e reports, and waive the question of adopting them. ; If was resolved that the Gasworks Manager be requested to instruct meter-readers to report any leiaky water taps; also that the height of water in the reservoir be taken daily and handed to the local newspapers for publication.. A