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Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 128, 10 June 1901, Page 4

tionally dry seasons ; in all ordinary years it would servo a much larger number, and by the adoption of special precautions, such as ordinary prudence would suggest in times of scarcity, to prevent waste aud restrict the consumption to necessary purposes only, the limit even in such times might be considerably extended.

ESTIMATES OF COST.

In comparing the cost of the _ two schemes, Mr Mcstayer took the IVaihirere dam at the 52ft contour as affording the fairest basis of comparison, although, as will appear hereafter, it is not necessary to go to this height at first. As the cost of reticulation will bo common to both schemes, it may be left out of the question for the present comparison. WAIHIRERE SCHEME. £ £

Dam to 52ft contour, retaining 110 million gallons 15,500 Outlet tunnel, valve tower, aud valve house 1,350 By-wash, wash-out main, and valves ... 1,150 Engineering, contingencies, and legal expenses, 121per cent ... 2,250 Total cost of head works 20,250 Nine miles of 12in diameter c.i. pipes... ... ... 21,060 Extra cost labor and carriage for 40 chains up creek bed ... ... 200 Engineering, contingencies, aud legal, expenses, 121 percent ... 2,860 Total cost of main'pipe line 24,120

Total cost of scheme, without reticulation ... 44,370 Or say, in round numbers 44,500 MANGARUEKA SCHEME. £ £

Dam to retain about 50 million gallons * ... ... 5,500 Outlet tunnel, valve tower, and valve house, etc. ... 1,050 By-wash, wash-out main and valves 1,350 Engineering, contingencies, and legal expenses, 121-

per cent 988 Total cost of head works 8,888 18 miles of 16in c.i. pipes ... 67,400 Extra labor and carriage 21-

miles up creek bed ... 700 Extra cost river and creek crossings ... 300 Engineering, contingencies, and legal expenses, 121-

per cent 8,550 Total cost of main pipe line ... 76,950

Total cost of head works and main pipe line ... 85,950 As again 4144,500 for the same supply from Waihirere. As to the cost of Waihirere, which is for the full supply of 60,000 gallons per day, which will not he required for some time to come, Mr Mestayor gives alternative 'estimates, one for a dam or reservoir to supply 9000 people through tho severest drought recorded, and the other for laying a 9-inch instead of a 12-inch main, it being possible to duplicate the former in the future. The 9-inch scheme would reduce the first cost of tho pipes by .£7OOO, and a second main might be a convenience in case of a • burst in the other, but ho thinks it would be more economical to carry out the works to their full cap’acity, but in order that the Council might have the opportunity of selecting he supplies the following approximate estimates: — 1. Iteservoir to hold 110 million gallons, and 12in supply main to be laid in the town ... £44,500 2. Reservoir to hold 43 million gallons, and 12in supply main 36,500 3. Reservoir to hold 43 million gallons, and 9in supply main to be laid ... 29,000 The eventual total cost, if No. 2 is carried out would bo £45,500, and if No. 3 is adopted it will be £55,000. If the supply is to include north Gisborne and Haiti he suggests a service reservoir holding from two to tlirco days’ supply at a site on Whataupoko 200 ft. above tho town, but he docs not think that work necessary at present. Mr Mestayor thus doals with RETICULATION : The details of the reticulation must dopend upon where the main supply enters Gisborne. I have assumed that the probabilities are in favor of North Gisborne and tho Haiti becoming parties to the scheme, and that the pipes will bo laid along the main road on tho north side of the Taruheru river, in which case it would enter Gisborne by the Peel street bridge. On this assumption I propose the following as the most suitable system for reticulation of tho town. The main from the reservoir being taken as 12in, I reduce it to lOin from the last point where any supply is given on the north side of the river to the end of Palmerston road, 9in thence to Childers road, an Sin pipe up Palmerston road as far as Derby street, and 7in thence to Roebuck road. At Derby street a 6in pipe is taken off the Bin and carried up Aberdeen road as far as the Hospital; 7in mains up Gladstone road to Roebuck road, and up Childers road to Stanley road ; 6in pipes in "Grey street from Childers road to Salisbury road, and in Gladstone road from Roebuck road to Stanley road ; sin pipes in Roebuck road from Gladstone road to Aberdeen road; in Read’s quay from Peel street to Nesbit road; in Grey street from Childers road to Gladstone road ; in Gladstone and Childers roads from Peelstreet to Read’s Quay; 4-iq,ch pipes in Disraeli, Carnarvon, Cotiden, Derby (Childers road to Palmerston road), Grey (Gladstone road to Palmerston road), Bright (Kahutia road to Palmerston road), Lowe, and Custom-house streets ; Nesbit road and Read’s Quay from tho end of the 5-inch main ; 3-inch pipes in Herbert, Root, Williams, Rangi, Materoa, and Harris-streets, Ivahutia, Salisbury,, and Awapuni roads, and in Grey and Brightstreets between Gladstone road and the river. I have allowed for a few more valves than is frequently done, as my experience has proved that it is true economy to keep thorn closer.. Much time is then saved when repairs have to be effected, and the pressure can be more quickly concentrated on one street in the event of a serious fire occurring. Two hundred hydrants are allowed • for, space being 220 ft apart. The total cost of reticulation as above described I estimate as follows : £ - 10-J- miles of c.i. mains ... ... 8,070 Valves, hydrants, boxes and covers, fixed complete... ... ... 750 900 house connections ... ... 1,350 Stand-pipes, tools, and stores ... 230 Special castings, about 10 tons ... 120 Contingencies, 10 per cent. ... 1,050

Total cost of reticulation ... 11,470 . GENERAL.

The working expenses will be small, as the cost o£ laying on water to all existing houses is included in the estimates—first one permanent man at 8s per day will be suflicient, and as population increases a second man will be... kept fully employed, and casual labor might be'required incase of a burst. Mr Mestayer says that in' framing the estimates he has taken all prices in full, as he is against under-esti-mating liabilities in regard to such works. In allowing 40 gallons per bead he has taken into account the probability of the water carriage system of sewerage being adopted ; for domestic purposes 20 gallons would be sutlicient. He adds : “As all the houses in Gisborne are supplied with rain-water tanks, they will relieve the mains to some extent; and although I regard a high-pressure water supply as a necessity for any town, both from an economic and from -a sanitary standpoint, at the same time I fully recognise the importance of haying an alternative supply in case of sudden emergencies, and regard the systematic employment of rain-water tanks as a most valuable aux-

iliary to a high-pressure system.” Mil MESTAYER’S RECOMMENDATIONS.

The advantages are so distinctly in favor of the Waihirere scheme, that I have no hesitation.in recommending that it be adopted as the source of the watersupply to Gisborne ; and that your Council should take immediate steps to acquire the whole of the drainage area, amounting to 796 acres, shewn on the watershed plan 1 prepared by Captain Winter.