CONSERVING THE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 December 1929, Page 6

CONSERVING THE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

three power users to be disconnected NEXT SPRING-.

SERVICE TO RURAL AREA AN IM

PORTANT ASSET

The Waterworks Committee reported to the Borough Council, on Monday evening, that they had considered the report by Mr Climie, consulting engineer, on proposed means of improving the water supply, it was apparent that something must be done towards augmenting .the supply available for ordinary purposes during the summer months, especially in view of additional consumers who were regularly coming on to the supply. As a first step, the Committee recommended that notice 1)0 given to three consumers that supply for power purposes will be discontinued after .September .'!Oth next. Cr. Keedvvell (chairman of the Committee) said that some of the watermotors had given the Committee some concern during the summer months. Therefore they recommended the disconnecting of three of those in time for the summer of 1930-31, They wore hoping to see the present summer through without any serious defect; as the mains were being extended further and further out it seemed that the Committee must, in order to maintain a 24 hours’ supply, cut out some of the heavy users. It would mean quite a loss of revenue, but it was necessary ito take some steps before another summer to keep the supply up. The Mayor stated that a letter had been received from the proprietors of the Chronicle intimating that, owing to the water pressure in the daytime being only equal to driving the larger presses at half-speed, the linn were installing electric power for the jobbing machines. As this would reduce the consumption of water, they applied for a reduction in the water rate. The newspaper plant would bo changed at a later date. The writers added that, up to this year, the supply had been very satisfactory and the Borough staff had always shown much consideration to ensure steady running. Cr. Keedwell stated that the proposed disconnections were recommended by the Committee as a first step towards keeping the pressure up without any other -expenditure. In answer to a question by Cr. FalJoon, he stated that the revenue from the three firms affected was £55 a year. Continuing, the Chairman said that another recommendation which Mr Climie had made was to erect a settling tank at Gladstone Road. The Committee did not want to do that now if they could cut down the consumption; they hoped that their recommendation would stave off the expenditure for several years. Another matter which had been before, the Committee was the replacement of the main in Kawiu Road. There was some fin, main 12 chains in length from which the consumers had lately been getting no pressure. A piece of the pipe had been cut off as a sample, and it was hopelessly corroded inside. (Cr. Keedwell produced the portion of pipe, and the Council inspected it.) This, he said, showed what happened on lengths of main where there was no circuit. Fortunately the Committee happened to have a considerable quantity of main from the C.U. Farm; it Avas lin., which they Averc using to replace this fin. piping. If they had too many of these eases, it might mean outlay. He moved the adoption of the Committee’s report. Cr. Harvey seconded the motion. Cr. Hannan stated that Mr Climie, in his report, had recommended the of ,11)0 largo consumers; but a point that struck the speaker Avas that the Council Averc allowing the outside services to be increased all the time, and he thought that if anyone Avas entitled to the benefit it was the people in the Borough. Cr. Parker: Hear, hear.

Or. Hannan; The users who, it is recommended, should be cut out have been ratepayers for many years, and if we do this I do not think wo should consider increasing our outside supply. If the Committee have any idea of that, I should vote against these users being cut out. Cr. Balloon: It seems that £55 from those three firms for using the amount of water is not a very payable thing to the Borough. Cr, Keedwell(Watbr is going to waste.

Cr, Balloon-: The water is for the people in the Borough. Cr. Keedwell: They are getting all they want.

Cr. Goldsmith: So long as that is so, the more we can sell outside the better. I consider that nothing has contributed mote to the prosperity and success of the waterworks than the water carried outside the Borough. There

There is a‘ big block of land outside that formerly had one great drawback; but wo raised a loan, supplied the settlers-with water, and there arc very successful farms there now.

Cr. Keedwell: The power users are going—that is all. Cr. Goldsmith: I don’t think we have taken the care wc might have done to obviate waste. I dare say there are a good many leaking taps where, they are not observed.

Cr. Parker said that as long as the charge was reasonable the position of outside service was all right; but where a house, dairy and troughs were being served at a lower price than a house in the -town, it became an error. Cr. Goldsmith: It should be fair. Cr, Hannan: If you intend to increase it, you will need to have eleven people to take the quantity that the three firms are taking now' at £55 h vear.

Cr. Harvey: The three consumers are using more wathr, than 20 outsiders would use.

His Worship: That is quite in point. Cr. Hannah: While we don’t wish to handicap the users while.we-have the water, now that it is getting short it is inconvenient for those users and

bad for the people in the Borough, because the pressure goes down. The shortage only happens in the dry time when nearly everybody has the hose going in the garden. If we could shut off all those hoses, the Chronicle would have quite good power.

Cr. Keedwell; We have never been short of water. Our taps are as full as ever veu in the summer. It is simply a. matter of pressure for everyone working at once. It seems to the Committee that the water is of more value on farms, for keeping stock, than in going through the water-races from power users and down to the Lake. The power users had it when there was nothing else offering, which is not the case now.

, Cr. Roo: I quite agree with that, I think we should oblige the people outside as much as wo possibly can. I should not like to see these outsiders cut off; we should do the best we can for them.

His Worship: We should not distort Cr. Hannan’s meaning. Ho had no intention that outsiders should not he supplied, but if it came to a question between them and the ratepayers, the latter should have it.

The Mayor quoted from Mr Climic’s report, in which ho stated that there were 10 water motors in the Borough that were supplied from the mains. Mr Climic went on to say that during the winter months, when other demands were not heavy and pressure was good, these motors were not a serious tax on the system. When the pressure was low', the power users opened up the cocks so that the output of these water motors was maintained. Fifty per cent, of the total consumption under those conditions was taken by the water ihotors. He considered that this was a reasonable assumption when 22,500 gallons per hour would produce only seven horse-power when the pressure was 50 lbs.

The Committee’s report was adopted. The letter from the Chronicle was referred to the Waterworks Committee, with power--to act.. In answer to a. question by Cr, Roo with reference to the J£a>viußoad pipe, the Town Clerk-stated that it had been down for 20 : years, .