WATER SUPPLY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXV, Issue 12913, 15 July 1936, Page 5

WATER SUPPLY

COUNCIL’S DECISION. GRA\f'EL BED TESTS TO BE MADE WAIPAOA RIVER FILTRATION TO WAIT. MR FIELD EXPLAINS HIS SCHEME. OFFER TO BE BOBN.E IN MIND IF PRESENT TESTS FAll! y The water supply of the borough ' ■ was the subject of a lengthy discussion at the meeting of the Borough Council last evening, and during the meeting Mr J.'C. Field waited on councillors and explained his scheme of wafer divining, urging that tests should be made and that, if his scheme proved a success, he should be granted £4OO. After considerable discussion, it was decided that the council should proceed with gravel bed tests, and to inform Mr Field that there was no money on the estimates this year to carry out his scheme, but the offer would be kept in mind. MR FIELD’S ADDRESS. Mr J. 0. Field said that while tlio the council had been studying the problem for two years he had also been at work. He had traversed t.ne course of water from the upper reaches and had followed it to the sea. It was the strongest flow of water he / • had ever been on. He believed there was more water running under Gisborne than .on top, and it was pure water. Ho thought, before the council went in for a filtration scheme, they should test his idea. It was the purest water obtainable, because it run through a natural filter bed. in tests he bad made a bore Had been sunk to approximately 111 ft. The 'river had varied its course in days .gone by. He had been in the district for 52 years and the river had worked further towards tho hills. There was also Tauinata, which could supplement the other supply. If he proved that an underground supply was reasonable and the council were satisfied in every way, he thought they should make him a grant of £4OO. If the council put down a test bore, a small one, this would be able to ascertain the quality of water and the flow. He offered to give a demonstration to councillors. Tu reply to questions, Mr Field said y"there was only a small stream in Uie ■ test already made, which worked out at 40,000 gallons an hour of pure water. The pipe on that occasion was about Sin. or 9in. The depth was 111 ft., and he believed they had struck the original river-bed. He agreed that no doubt water could he tapped at 25ft. at Matawhero. The stream he mentioned was 200 ft. to 300 ft. wide. The bore which went down 111 ft. was about 18 to 20 miles from

town. Near the sea the water vas •£v f ry close to the surface. The water 1 ' was the same as that formerly used at the Waipaoa meat works and was beautiful water. He would be prepared to shoAv the engineer the location under certain conditions. Ho could promise tho engineer a bore as close to the pipeline as he liked.

COUNGIL’S REPORT

FILTRATION AVAS RECOMMENDED.

After Mr Field had retired, the \ . council discussed the following report / ol a. committee of the whole council 1 “Tho offers submitted by Candy Filters Ltd. and the Filtration and Water Softening Pty. Ltd., for the Jure of filtration plant for the treatment of the Waipaoa river water received the consideration of the committee. “It was suggested by members that the investigation of underground supplies should be the first experiment undertaken: also that the Thames Conservatory Board, London—which body obtains its water supply bv filtrating the water from tho Thames river .—bo written to and asked whether tho water from tho Waipaoa river can be filtered, and at what cost. “After a full discussion a motion recommending that tho offer of the Filtration and Water Softening Pty. Ltd. bo accepted, and also that the testing of the gravel bed supplies be v' carried out as soon as possible was ’ carried. The total estimated cost for the hire of the plant for twelve months, including ir,it minis to be supplied by the council, is £225 I Os. Or. H. H. Do Costa said that, after hearing Mr Field, be thouglit too council should sink a test bore. Tho Mayor suggested that the matter be held over till they dealt with J\lr Field’s scheme. IN COMMITTEE. On a proposal to go into cohimittie or the subject, Cr. N. H. Bull objected and contended that the public disired to have all the information obtainable. After further discussion it was decided, on the motion of the Mayor, to go into committee on the engineer s comment in regard to Mr Field s scheme.

On resuming in open council tee Mayor said he did not want to force tho council to take action, but they bad already lost twelve months’ time. Fie suggested that the report be held over till further investigations were made in regard to the underground supply. He felt the people would he satisfied if the council made the tests. In reply to a question the engineer said the cost of a test bore would be about £650. Cr. H. H. Dc C'osta said that the people did not want the Waipaoa v '- ver water; they seemed to have a set on it. Fie still thought they should test the shingle bed idea. The Mayor said lie hoped a decisiou would not be reached on a majority vote. Flo wanted the council io be unanimous so that he cou,ld bo sunrinHed when they went to the ratc»erS. ; In reply to a, question by Cr. Bull, the engineer said the small bore would ho of practically no use. A ■ DELAY OPPOSED'. 0 r P; H. Bushnofl opposed the idea o' twelve months’ delay. Tim money : : V: ' i ■' ■ '

was provided on the estimates for an investigation. The council were looking for a possible future source when AY aingake was exhausted. They also had an expensive scheme to impound further water. He saw no reason why the investigation of the lower supplies and also the filtration scheme siiould he gone on with, lie would like to seo tho recommendation stand.

Or. G. Bradley Smith asked, why they should go to the expense of tho Waipaoa river scheme if they wore going ,to test underground supply. He thought the public would never vote for tho filtration scheme until every other scheme was exhausted.

The Mayor. said the council being divided, thebe was no hope- of going to the ratepayers with any success. 1C they wero going to the expense of testing the underground scheme they could not do it this year, and it was no uso going on with the other scheme. EXPERT ADVICE URGED. Cr. Bull suggested an arrangement might be made to increase the overdraft by a slight amount. He quite agreed with the idea of boring for water. The filtration of the Waipaoa river was a big question and bo thought they should get expert advice. Most of the information they had been given Avas from firms selling filtration plants. If filtration could be done at an economic cost the question would bo solved at all times. The Mayor’s proposal for a unanimous vote ov tho council Avas a. good one, but the speaker Avould not be satisfied until ho had had the best ad\ r ice on filtration. There was a competent engineer in Christchurch, Mr Galbraith, AA'ho, no doubt, could give them a competent report. Such money, he considered, AA'ould be well spent. 14e thought a letter should be Avritten to Mr Galbraith or some other authority.

COUNCIL ALAVAYS AVANTED TESTS FIRST.

The Mayor said he still thought Cr. Bull had not grasped the full extent of the idea. He had repeated time an l time again that the council did not intend to go in lor a filtration scheme until a test Avas made. After the test Avas made, then they could call on Mr Galbraith or some other engineer. He again urged unanimity and suggested delay until the underground scheme could be tested, but that could not hi done this year-. They could test out the gravel bed at MataAvhero. That Avould be a cheap place to test if there Avas an adequate supply, which he doubted. There Avas no need to go further. Cr. De Costa said a Gin. bore would cost £6-50 if they went down 450 ft.. but Mr Field stated that lie bad onlv gone doAvn 111 ft. COST OF BORING. The engineer said that it was Avorth ■£j an hour to test a Gin. bore. They had not enough money to do deep boring this year. Cr. D. S'. Thompson said if nothing was done this year it Avould mean two years before tho council AA'ould huA'e a supply. Ho favored the proposal of the committee in tho report and if it was found necessary they could go further with the boring next year. Cr. Bull said he did not agree Avitii the Mayor’s remark that die had not a clear grip of the position. His atti tude Avas that, before tbey did anything, they should take expert advice. The Mayor said the cost of doing anything could only come from tests. Cr. Bull contended that there were experts who could tell them Aidicther a filtration scheme Avould lie a success! QUIBBLING OVER FEW POUNDS Cr. J. Hall said it seemed to him they were quibbling over a few pounds, and tlic delay might cost tho district several thousand pounds. He thought it was the duty of tho council to spaie no expense and not to cause delay. HA considered they should get tlieir oAvn scheme and also Air fields scheme tested. They would then lnivo two schemes to place before the people a gravel bed scheme and a filtration scheme. Tho Mayor said a.split vote Avould incpn that a poll Avould be lost. Cv. Hall contended there could be two issues. (1) Are you in favor of a schemo ? and (21 AVliich scheme do you favor? GRAVEL-BED TEST FIRST. Tho Mayor said if Mr Field’s scheme was successful and there avas an abundance of water, there would be no need to consider the AY aipaoa river. ff tho council avos of opinion that tho underground scheme could be tested, why be in a hurry to test the AVaipaoa scheme? Cr. Buslmell suggestecd that only tho gravel-bed scheme be inA r esti gated this year. The Mayor moved that the report dealing with the filtration scheme he held over and that the council pioceed Avith the gravel-bed scheme.

BEAUTIFUL WATER AT OLD WAIPAOA WORKS.

Cr. J. Webb said be bad bad practical experience in this district. -He was at the Waipaoa works when the bore was put down there. He was convinced that the gravel-bed scheme and Mr Field’s scheme were one and tho same. By testing the gravel the engineer could form an idea, wh.n. the water was. At Waipaoa the dernier they went the coarser it was. The water was beautifully cold and good and from the first the men used it without any ill-effects. He was confident that the water came from the gravel beds. He thought the filtration ecliemo and a gravitation scheme should be investigated. The Mayor’s motion was carried. On the motion of the Mayor, it was decided to write to Mr Field thanking him for his address to the council, arid to state that there was no riioney on the estimates this year to continue the work, hut his offer would be kept in mind if they decided to go further afield. • Cr. Thomson seconded the motion, which was carried.