We Need Water

Hutt News, Volume 15, Issue 34, 11 February 1942, Page 5

We Need Water

T Y w I V w * » v* v i <$> SYDNEY'S \VAl{.\!\(i TO LOW KK HI IT 'IMPORTANT PLAN OFFER 101) FOR LOAN PLAN Halt payors in Lower Hutt will shortly be tailed upon to authorise a. step of the utmost importance to the City—the raising of a loan to increase and improve tlie water supply. The main pumping' station and the only reservoir now in use are units that were const met cd in 25)08. The economic course in laving out a waler scheme is to design it to provide for the growth of the community for some years ahead; and 10 proceed by similar steps from time to time when the growing demand overtakes the supply. The natural course ' differs: the second and succeeding steps are not taken until the system becomes so overloaded as to cause actual inconvenience and even threaten danger. This threat is ofl ten little realised. It exists in the enlarged Lower Hutt City today. IT .MIGHT HAPPEN HERE At the present time Sydney offers a striking example of a community which is suffering very severely from lack of water, due to a combination of a supply in itself inadequate foi so large a city, and a prolonged period of rainfall below normal. For several years now, residents in the higher levels of Lower Hutt have had to put up with the inconvenience of being short of water; and with inadequike pressure. The bald fact is that 124,00 people spread over mi area of eight square miles lire being- serve-d. today by a reservoir and a 10-inch pipe that wiw designed to serve a population of 4000 people living in two square miles in fS)OK>. Lower Hutt people are known tr be hi.ii.ivy users of water, and up t(. the present. Councils have Jjoen sufficiently " garden-minded" not to im pOHp licensing for hosing purposes, though restrictions have had to bt made in dry spells. During the past summer gardens have not suffered, owing to the unusually wet season, but a few weeks of .dry-weather now would cause unpleasant surprise. THE FiUE DANCER The noicd lor increasing the volume; and pressure of wafer for nre-fighting purposes in an area so much enlarged and with, so many more residents needs no more than stating, and the new scheme pro vides for special mains for this purpose in every residential.' commercial, and industrial street. P,y increasing the supply of wa fer ;it the source, greatly enlarging the storage capacity, and providing mains of ample size, the plan no! only brings the wafer scheme up-to-date; it is designed Lo permit tlu continuance of the heavy use of water to which the residents have been accustomed and to guarantee, as fai as wilier can do it, the -safety ol properties in the city; and this not only for the present but for years to co me. To ensure a full distribution ol Witter ;it adequate pressure an- extensive reconstruction and improvement of the reticulation in general is included in the proposals, and is an essential part of them. NO EXTRA RATE NEEDED The City Council is confident, ia putsing forward this important plan, tVittt, its execution will not involve any increase in the rates. As the icsult ol the improvement of tlu* debt position of the municipality during the past few years, the present rate ol' I/, ill the £ will provide amply for the interest a-ui sinking fund of the proposed loan of n<>o,r>:*o. ..OUTLINE OF THE SCHEME .. The City is now supplied with water from a number of artesian wells near William Street pumping station which pumps if to the reservoir, on the Western Hills. The supply is supplemented by three wells at Rirch Street, from which water is pumped to boost the pressure in tlu area, oast of the Waterloo Railway and north of Military Road. The Western Hills reservoir, of 7;;n,<)0( .gallons, is really only large enough for the population west of the Hutt River, and it. is only about K!0 feet above the level of High Street in the main shopping area. Th<; proposed scheme provides for a reservoir of 2.r»(H).(KK) gallons at ,\'ae N:ie. 22tl feet, above High Street. This wilt bo led by it pumping station at Rircli street, drawing from a number of new wells. The height of the reservoir will give ail average working pressure of SO to !IU pounds her square inch over the greater part of the present, city area. The old reservoir will remain in use, serving that part of the city west, of the rivt;r. The two systems will be .linked by a large main across (he river, so that if necessary either supply can be used to supplement the oilier. The basis of the scheme is the provision of u llicien I, storage to Slip ply XU gallons per head ol the population for two days. This is by no means an excessive allowance under recognised practice, but will allow for a steady increase of population for some years without risk of inconvenient restriction of the free use of water that an enlightened community desires and deserves. The plan is moreover designed so Mint, in stages some years ahead, tlulinking of additional wells and the . duplication of the reservoir can be

conveniently carried out to meet the needs of the-next generation. SCHEDULE OF WORK Although the reservoir and pumping .station are the heart of the scheme, tiie largest amount under one heading is the cost of new distribution mains, measuring 18 miles Small mains for supplying groups of houses are totalled separately. The costs of the work are set as follows: — 1. Reservoir 2,500,000 gallons at Nae Nae,,£2,9,200 2 Pumping station/ wells,l, etc at Birch' Street \ . 10',809 3. Pipe lines, 18 miles; .. §£,1.16 ' 4. Domestic mains, main- ' » ly IA-inch .......... 12,210; 5. "Tate" (concrete) lin*?- /i ; - ing of existing jnain^.|*^,ios< 8. Additional,-Yalvesf . . .^V/jl'^l73| 7.' Land for pumping j reservoir .7... 2.110) >!' 5 - f ' * ' K-•• — 5 123,714; 10% for e\p<*nses ancl'' ' '' ' contingencies .'12,371' 136,185 8. Housing Department's mains, pumping stiitiout -A" and wells, Copeland St 16,63j !). Supply for Normandale, pumping station, reser- ] voir and uiaius .•••••__• .7,1(10 £160,530 The new wells, at Birplv Street will be r four inches in dialrietdr, and sunk to between 100 and 120 l'eet; A pump of 500 gallons per minute capacity is now in use there. An-! other of the same size and two of 800 gallons per minute are required. Metering and recording tus is to be provided. ■ j New distribution mainig range in size from li inches, anjJ will be of steel, lined with concrete, a type which for the conditions in liower Hutt provides the' best combination of immunity from. »cowosion and risk of fracture, convenience in male ing connections, and. economy. The "Tate" lining shown in the list is to renovate existing mains which have become corroded and reduced in carrying capacity. Some miles of mains were tw&ted by the process several ye£rs ago and it has been found highly satisfactory. The additional valves a»e required to control the distribution of water when mains are under alteration or repair or in emergency circumstances. The item "Housing Department's mains'' etc., refers to payment for work done and being done by the Department in connection with its activities in the City. CITY'S BEST INVESTMENT It will be realised that the items set out form a single scheme so that the issue before the ratepayers is simply that of approving it as a whole. The scheme as proposed is without doubt the best investment that can be offered to the citizens of Lower Hutt. Without extra cost to them it will provide on a liberal scale the one commodity without which no town can exist at all and which, if restricted, limits the expansion of population and industry. With the new water-works in being, Lower Hutt will be assured of siifety, health, and growth, and will have laid a foundation for a still brighter fuMil"'. 1 of prosperity and beauty. Those entitled to vote are owners of property, who are automatically enrolled as ratepayers, and also the husbands or wives of such ratepayers, if they have been enrolled as such. Remember the date of the poll— Saturday, February 21st, and record your vote for the loan. Ilis Worship the Mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrews, will addieris a public meeting on the water-works proposal ill St. Jameu's Hall, Woburn on the evening of Thursday, : Febriiary 19.