DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1613, 22 April 1879, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

Monday, April 21. The ordinary meeting of the Board was held yesterday. Present—Messrs Tanered (in the chair),’ Harman, Brown, Boss, Duncan, Hobbs, Hall and Blakiston. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. engineer’s report.

The report of the engineer was read as follows:

April 21st, 1870. _ 1. The storm water sewer in Antigua street is finished, and the water in the deep drain is turned into it. All the surplus earth has been thrown into the drain, but is uot sufficient to fill it. I have, therefore, left the fence standing at the deeper parts, and removed it from those parts of the drain which arc nearly filled up with earth. All the drainage from Selwyn street, (South Addington, and the upper part of Lin coin road, can now bo turned into the South Belt sower, from which it will be discharged by the Antigua street sewer into the river. In the meantime, till the sewer system is completed, the drainage of the breweries is turned into this sower, and that of the Hospital may also be if the Hospital authorities wish it Ithink twould be preferable to drain the Hospital into this sewer rather than into the shallow creek in front of the Hospital. To do so, however, all the drain must be t ken up and re-laid with an inclination towards the street, in which a pipe will bo laid Lorn the sewer to receive thotn. This pipe would take the surplus artesian, rainwater and wa-to water of the Hospital; but afterwards when the sewer pipes are laid a separation must be made of the impure from the clean water. 2 The Perry road sewer is nearly completed up to the So ith belt, and in a few days the water will be turned into it, and the temporary drain through the properties on the Ferry road filled up. 3 A sewer must be built from the South belt up the h ast belt to St. Asaph street, with the object of diverting rain and artesian water from the old existing outfall sewer in Tuam street Fast. I submit an offer which I have received from the contractors of the Ferry road, to construct this sewer. I have arranged with Mr J. Goss to supply 200,000 bricks for this work and for the main sewer to tbe pumps at the price of 70s per thousand, 'i bis is a high price for bricks, and if there were sufficient time to make them it would bo more economical to arch all the sewers with concrete blocks made in moulds. 4. I have received from Mr W. Clarke the plans for pumping station, sewage tank, and engine house. I have the instructions of the Board to commence the sewage tank and main sewer at once.

5. Me Clarke informs me that the pumping machinery is being constructed He says it will be the cheapest work of the kind that has been done for a long time. He also advises that the iron pipe to lead the sewage from the pumps to the Sand Hills should be purchased now, when iron is low in price, as he expects it will soon be dearer. This pipe amounts to 730 tons; ho thinks we can get it for about per ton. G. A nine inch pipe has been laid in the Stanmore road from Gloucester street to the river Avon, and gullies have been built to intercept the sand and mud washed off the road by the rains. The deep ditches on the road side are therefore, no longer required. It will be necessary that the Heathcote Road Board take charge of the gullies and have them cleaned out at regular intervals, as otherwise deposits will be washed into the pipe, and may cause it to be choked up. 7. The sewer works north of the Avon are making very good progress. The bad ground is now passed, the foundations being firm and nearly dry. 8. I expert every day the arrival of sewer pipes of Mr Turner’s contract. I have therefore not thought it advisable to purchase any for the work in Armagh street west, which the Board ordered to be done.

9. I was directed to report on the size of pipes which Mr Riggs should be permitted to lay in the canal reserve drain opposite his property I should not advise a smaller pipe than 15 inches, and it would be cheaper for him to build a bridge over the drain, which carries a great deal of water in wet weather.

10. The contract of Mr S. Rhodda to clean certain drains in the Avon district expires in May, while that of Mr J. Goode to clean the reM of the Avon drains expires in August. I suggest that I be authorised to make arrangements with either of these contractors to continue the work till August, when the whole district may bo let in one contract. 11. I have furnished the solicitors with a plan of the piece of ground in Salisbury street, which the Board agreed to purchase from the Cemetery Trustees, and I have asked the solicitors to get the deeds made out, in order to complete the purchase. 12. The timber lining of the mouth of Bell’s creek is being backed up with a bank of earth sft. wide, as directed by the Board. I have the honor to remain, &c., C. N. Bell.

Mr Bell stated he had been asked to report on the Hospital drainage, but could not get any information about the present system of the Hospital drainage in particular; but would be requisite to reverse the drainage if it was determined to carry the drainage as proposed in the above report, which would be the cleaner way. Mr Hall suggested 'that the matter should be left in abeyance till next meeting, and the Hospital authorities could be communicated with in the meantime.

Mr Bell suggested that the Board should lay the pipes to the gates of the Hospital, and thus get rid of further responsibility. Mr Duncan pointed out that as any arrangement at present would only be temporary, it would bo better to postpone any alteration of the drainage in the meantime, and push on the other work, Mr Bell said the creek into which the drainage of the Hospital flowed was certainly impure, and must bo to a certain extent detrimental to the sanitary condition of the place. He believed, however, that the Hospital Board favored the postponement of the question till tho drainage system was more complete. Mr Harman drew attention to the vexed question of dealing with the side channels on the South town belt, as to who should defray the cost of the work. Who was to do it ? It was clear that it could not be properly saddled upon the City Council. The question was, could the work be done and charged to the Sydenham Borough. If that could be done, it would of course offer an easy solution of tho difficulty. Tho expense would not be very considerable, and tho work would remove a grievance at present existing. Mr Ross asked if they could not proceed with the Sydenham Board of Health, Mr Harman said, as Chairman of the Board of Health, he had proposed tho means just now suggested, because he saw no hope of dealing with it by the Board of Health,

Mr Duncan could see no difficulty in the matter, the local bodies in each place being naturally responsible for drainage works which circumstances might require should proceed in either direction. After some further discussion on thejsubject, Mr Duncan moved —“That the engineer be requested to report upon the means of removing the nuisance arising from the stagnant water in the side channels on the South town belt, and to place himself in communication with the chairman of the Local Board of Health on the subject.” Mr Hobbs seconded the motion, remarking that it was a pity the different governing bodies could not agree as to the responsibility attaching to them for these works.

The Board decided to leave the question of Hospital drainage in abeyance. It was also resolved that the City Council be informed that the Antigua'streetjsewer is now completed, and that the Board has no further use for the open ditch along that road for drainage purposes. On the motion of Mr Duncan, it was resolved, in reference to the second clause of

the report., that an advertisement be inserted in the papers, requesling that all claims for compensation against the Board on account of injury by the construction of the Ferry road sewer, be sent into the chairman on or before a date to be fixed by the chairman in communication with the engineer. Some discussion arose as to whether the recommenda'ions of the engineer should bo accepted as to carrying out the drain from the South Belt to St. Asaph street, by the staff of the Board, or whether it should be done by contract.

Mr Duncan proposed that tenders bn called for the construction of a sewer from the South town belt to St. Asaph street, along the East belt.

Mr J. E. Brown seconded the motion. Mr Hall moved as an amendment that the engineer be instructed to carry out the work, with the staff of the Board.

Seconded by Mr Blakiston. A division was taken on the question, which resulted in the amendment being carried by four to three, as follows: —Ayes —Hlakislou, Harman, Hall, Hobbs ; noes—Rose, Blown, Duncan. The chairman was instructed to authorise Mr Clarke to order the pipe required to load the sewage from the pumps to the Sandhills, and to inform him that the necessary arrangements have been made with the bank. The remaining clauses having been passed the report was adopted. APPLICATION FOB COMPENSATION. Mr B. Taaffo waited on the Board for compensation on account of damage sustained by the temporary diversion of the Perry road drain through his section. Ho desired the Board to sell the property and give him the full value of it originally, whatever it might sell for. The Board pointed out that they had already given notice that all claims against, them should bo sent in, and the applicant was requested to put his claim to writing. CLAIM FHOM PAPANUI. Mr Dowdall, of Bapanui, waited on the Board in reference to the decay of a bridge that went over a drain leading through private iland and past his property, and he was thereby prevented from reaching his section. The matter was left in the hands of Mr Brown and the engineer, with power to act. ANOTHEE APPLICATION. An application was received from Mr Frame, who appeared in person, that the Board would clean a drain leading from his place, which was beside the property of Mr Rhodes. The Board decided to have the wort done. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read as follows : —From Mr W. Clarke, in London, forwarding a copy of specifications of the pumping engines, which are now in course of construction, and which ho referred to in a previous letter to the Board. From Mr Colohan, of Fendalt.own, objecting to a drain being cut through his land from Fendalfown road to Cookson’s boundary, and staling he would hold the Board responsible for damages, &c. He also enclosed a letter from Mr Bowen, who stated that from his earliest recollections the gully had not been a natural watercourse. The letter was referred to the works committee, with power to act. From Da’e and Co. on behalf or Mr Wm, Dearsley, drawing attention to the bad condition of a portion of Jackson’s creek, in the neighbourhood of that gentleman’s property. The letter pointed out that the portion referred to was in a filthy state, omitted noisome and offensive smells, and was, consequently, detrimental to health. Referred to the engineer, with power to act, as also was a letter of complaint touching sanitary matters, from Mr Johns. From Mr Washbourn for a drain in Riccarton. This was referred to the works committee, as also was a supplementary list of drains, proposed and submitted by Mr Hall, for the Riccarton district. BTANMOBB ROAD. A letter was received from Mr Kearney, of Stanmore road, asking the Board to aesist him to drain property of his in that locality. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for payment^: —Loan account, £2316 Is 7d ; rate, £224 4s. WORKS COMMITTEE. The works committee submitted the following report: — For the purpose of enabling the Board to give the ratepayers the fullest advantage from the sewage works as they progress, the works committee beg to suggest to the Board the advisability of at once taking steps for the preparation of a Bill for introduction into Parliament in the ensuing session, the object of which should be to give the Board further power, as advised by Mr Clark in clauses 71, 72, and 73 of his report. R. J. S. Harman, Chairman. Resolved—“ That the Chairman, Messrs Hobbs and Ross, be appointed to prepare a draft Bill in the direction indicated in the report. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr Duncan gave notice of motion —“That it is desirable steps should be taken for placing the balance of the £200,000 Christchurch District Drainage loan on the London market,” STRIKING THE BATE. A brief discussion took place as to whether it was advisable at that late period of the afternoon (five o’clock) to proceed with this part of the business, Mr Duncan suggesting that it would bo better to hold a special meeting for the purpose at an early date, and deprecated leaving the matter over till next ordinary meeting, as it would make it very inconvenient for the Board,

Ultimately, it was resolved that a special meeting should be held for the purpose on Monday, the 28th instant. The Board then adjourned.