WHERE THE SEWERAGE BYLAWS COULD BE REDUCED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3562, 29 June 1912, Page 11

WHERE THE SEWERAGE BYLAWS COULD BE REDUCED.

{.TO THE EDITOR.) } Sir, —A great deal has been said j about,the stringency of the -borough ; sanitary by-laws, and at Tuesday j night’s meeting Councillor Bright said i he had heard a great deal on tins subject, but no one had come forward to point out where the unnecessary strictness was observed and that the criticisms were only made in a gencial statement. Being in the position to give the councillors and ratepayers this information I take the opportunity, through your valuable paper, to enlighten them on the subject. In the first place the by-law demands that the convenience shall be of a minimum height of eight feet, and this being adhered to necessitates an . expenditure (on an average) of £l, whicli is included in the plumber’s es- ; timate. This I may state is an tin-ne-cessary expenditure, as an efficient flush may be obtained if the convenience had a height *oi which is under the usual height of those at present in use. Second.—The by-law compels the ratepayer to fix either a cast-iron or Muntz-metal flushing cistern at a- ccst of £l, whilst a galvanised iron cistern (which, owing to the character of the Te Arai waters, will last equally as long as the cast-iron cistern) may not be vised, although those could be supplied at 10s, meaning a saving of 50 per cent, on this item. Third.—ln all cases the by-law demands that a back-vent- must be fixed to all closets this even ii the fitting is only two feet from the main vent. The cost of tills is approximately 22s 6d. This item could be cut oiit in seven cases cut of ten, as our ables sanitary authorities maintain there is no necessity of back-venting under a distance of four feet unless two; oi move fittings are on the hr alien pipeFourth.—A lead trav has to- he placed under all closets which have not a concrete or tiled floor. Suiely this is unnecessary in the ease where the convenience is situated outside ti_ main building, and a saving of los could be made by cutting out this ‘ "Fifth The wastes of wash-tubs have to be carried out on an elaborate rede the by-law asking t-nat these v.Ktes must be trapped, flanges wiped on "where they pass through the tubs. Fie -. 3 flanges serving no useful purTliis v.disr-e tlie washhouse situated a distance of 12 feet to lo feet from the mam dwelling. AAJk.ii ix i' considered that the tubs are dis- . connected from the drain bv means of a rriillv trap outside, it will be seen II that this is running the ratepayers [! into «Sm s e, whiclC by substituting |i -galvanised iron pipes, could {s&k* eumdown by 255. £ ‘Mxtii "Fee master plumber on nn-ch-rtaknig the mrtslDtk n of a seweri connect : on has first to earofully , niei'iiP and map out the work, of which he .must draw a plan, and Place p.Ki-rr with it a deposit of rrem to 40- (according to amount of work to lie done) at the Borough Engineer s office for approval. On the completion of the' work, it is -subjected to a hydraulic test, which is the most seKore .Jest (and was not used by the Qoi&v-il on the sewers, but the smoko Jsm was r.ubstitutedL and there are otPTr.g delays in obtaining the test necessitating more expenditure,, which is borne by the ratepayer indirectly. From the above it -can. be seen that tfin coot of installations can be coucidernbly reduced, and. t-h.:«s without affecting - in. auv way the efficiency ot sanitary conditions. , Councillor Webb stated at the meeting that there was a set of by-laws tor the plumbers and a set for the Council authorities- This the Mayor repudiated, but I am in a position to sup--1 port and prove CY. Webb’s assertion. In no case lias any master pliunbei been allowed to fill in any drain before it is tested, and. as 1 stated above, bv the hydraulic test,. but a ca c e in point is Mrs. S— : 's residence, where the Council employees earned out the drainage installation The existing traps on tins particular property were utilised, whilst the same class of trap on other jebs- carried cm : by the master plumbers were con- ■ dernned as insanitary. Also, the drain, was laid and filled m lmmedintelv on its completion without a test, , notwithstanding' the by-law states a , drain will stand open 24 hours before . refilling, and must undergo, tlve Bor- - ■ o.uMi Council’s test. Further, the ■ pipes laid under the building were - not covered with concrete, and tins - strictly enforced where- the master - plumbers carry out their work, thus - showing that it is unfair competition. In another case where- the Council 1 did the. work of laying the drams and concreting the floors of conveni-eiKO-s - in Crawford Road, the plumber on atr tempting to plug the floor found that t there hacl onK been one and a-half in- > olios of concrete laid down, r.otwith- - standing that the by-law enforces the - master plumber to lay a thickness oi - four inches of concrete, and the Conn- > oil’s iiisj lector eeos that this clause ot o; the by-law is strictly observed. ,1 , ] have other cases which I could men- , ! tion, but I think these are sufficient > ' to convince the ratepayers that Cr. - AVcbb was correct in liis statement.

and that there is-no “ring” amongst ifhe plumbers (as some -would imply), but that the reason the prices in Gisborne compare unfavorably with other towns in the Dominion is the stringency of the by-laws.—l am, etc., Gisborne, June 26th. EXPERT.