DRAINAGE OF GOVERNMENT HOUSES.

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 12, 18 August 1937, Page 6

DRAINAGE OF GOVERNMENT HOUSES.

"A MENACE TO THE BOROUGH." The mothods of drainage adopted by the Government Housing Construction Department for the Lower Hutt schemc came in for strong criticism at a meeting of the Borough Council last week when it was decided to protest to the Department and to refrain in the meantime from connecting •the Government houses to the borough main by the method proposed. The system was stated to be contrary to the borough by-laws. The Mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrews, said he had discussed the question of the drainage of 'the Government houses with the boTough engineer, who had submitted an adverse report, and he had also been in touch with the contractor. The engineer's report was read. "I do not know what has come over the Housing Department," said the Mayor. -"It has seen fit for the sake of 3d. a foot to connect four-inch drains from groups of houses with the one four-inch pipe before joining it up to the Council's six-inch main. Quite nine-tenths of the blockages we are having are due to some of the material slipping aside from four-inch pipes where it would have gone through a six-inch main. We are being compelled to do something which is a menace to the borough. I am informed the Department was unwilling to connect groups of three and four houses in this way without Cabinet authority, and that this will shortly be given by Order-in-Council. "I move that we protest to the Department against the method adopted, as contrary to good practice and detrimental to health; that we invoke the aid of the Health Department if necessary; and that we connect none of the drains to the borough main until the outcome of the protest is known." The motion was seconded by Cr. J. Brasell. In reply to a question from Cr. P. Dowse as to where the problem of maintenance came in, the Mayor said the borough was definitely going to be asked to take over the four-inch main as a common drain. "The point is that with a six-inch main only one house suffers when a blockage occurs; but if four four-inch pipes arc connected to a four-inch main every one of them is blocked," he said. . ."What I am amazed about is the paltry 3d. a foot," continued the Mayor. "They could have cut cut a window box. In fact, one could point out a dozen ways in which they could have effected such a small saving." Cr. Dowse moved an amendment for a deputation to the Government as the proper way of airing the Council's difficulties. The Mayor: The Government has already been approached. No good has ever come of any deputation I have been on. Cr. W. A. F. Hall said he agreed that a deputation was the proper way ol airing the matter. Cr. C. J. Ashton said it was certainly regrettable that the Department should economise in the direction of sewerage —it was tho most important part of a house. The Department should be the last to break the by-laws in that tcspect. The Mayor: Especially by Order-iu-CounciL Cr. W. B. Rainey: It is our duty to enter a protest in some way. Tho best thing is to give the matter publicity through the Press. Cr. M. Macaskill: We want to use both methods. To go for economy in sewerage, particularly in a .built-up area like this, calls for the severest censure. Further comment in a similar vein was heard before Cr, Dowse's amendment was put and defeated and the Mayor's motion carried.