A TOWN IN MAKING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 289, 27 August 1910, Page 5

A TOWN IN MAKING.

Engineer's Estimate. DRAINAGE, WATER AND ROADS TO COST £25,000. Last night's meeting of Te Kuiti Borough Council drew a full attendance of members, his Worship the Mayor presiding. The reports supplied by Mr L. G. P. Spencer, the consulting engineer, recently apointed to draw up rough preliminary reports, were read. Water Supply.—Mr Spencer reported that he had given his attention to the Mangoakewa stream, as the oily probable source of the water supply. For a town such as Te Kuiti it was desirable that the head of the supply should be from 250 to 300 feet above the flat portion of it, giving a pressure of 110 to 1301bs to the square inch. Unfortunately, the rise in the Mangaokewa was limited and nearly eight miles of pipe line would be necessary to get 200 feet above or 861bs to the square inch. This pressure, by using an Sin pipe, would serve 5000 people and give a fairly good fire service in the centre of the town. A 9in pipe would serve 7000 people, but would"* cost over £2OOO more. Probably the Sin pipe would be sufficient at present, with a reservoir to follow in a few years. The river rises considerably more per mile in the vicinity of the uptake and a short additional length of main would give a greatly increased supply and pressure whenever necessary. He recommended the spiral pipe made in Wanganui, the imported pipe being subject to a duty of 20 per cent. He would like to see the 9in pipe adopted if the council could face the extra expense. The Sin pipe w : ould suffice for three to five years only. Somewhat tentatively he gave the sum of £3500 as being sufficient for the reticulation of the actual town, and in his opinion it was a very liberal estimate. The council would probably find it an advantage to employ a good foreman turncock with a fairly strong staff, having a sufficient supply of material to lay pipes as and where extensions were required. His estimate for the whole water scheme w ; as: —Eight miles Bin main at £I2OO per mile, £9600; intake, river rings, air, scour and sluice valves, say £700; reticulation, £3500; fire plugs, valves, scour and air covers, etc., £350; contingencies, engineering, legal expenses 10 per cent., £1415; total: £15,565. Drainage. Mr Spencer recommended the biological process of drainage by septic tank treatment. From both an engineering and sentimental point of view the most desirable position would be the North-east corner oi the Domain at the bend in the river. There, by adopting a primary and secondary tank treatment, and delivering the effluent below low water level, covering, turfing or grassing the top of the tank, its presence would scarcely be apparent to anyone not knowing it existed. The fall of the town from one end to the other was small and the tank must be placed at the lowest possible level. A main sewer 12in in diameter along Taupiri street from the south end of Rora strset would have to be laid. It would receive the drainage from the streets branching ! off it on each side and a branch along King street over the bridge would receive that from the Eastern side of the town. Including 200 private connections, the cost recoverable from property-owners, the following was bis estimate for draining the area at present outlined: —Septic tank, connections, river protection, etc., £750; Taupiri street main sewer. !2in, £750; King, Rora to Carroll street, 12in. £250; Rora street to Esplanade, 9in, £81; Rora, King to Sheridan and Alexandra streets, 9in, £189; Carroll street, 6in, £9B; King street East and Esplanade East, 12in, £375; branches to do., £275; man-holes, £210; connections, 200 at £4 each, £800; flushing and sundries, £150; contingencies, engineering, etc., £393; total, £4321, For extensions the cost would be considerably less, as 6in pipes only would be necessary. Streets. —Mr Spencer submitted a list of streets totalling 491 chains, his estimate for metaKing at an average of 15 ft wide Sin thick being £9 per chain, £4419; 10 per cent, for pontingencies, engineering, etc., £441; formation footpaths, £o40; total, £5400. Possibly a bridge, over the Mangaokewa would be necessary in a few vears. Electric Light.—Mr Spencer had not gone at all fully into this question, but on account of the limited natural fall in the Mangaokewa, a hydroelectric scheme would necessarily be expensive, and if considered at all would probably have to be dealt with by a dam, which would entail considerable cost and also the danger of serious leakage in a fissured limestone country such as the dam would be placed in. Possibly in higher waters of the stream there would be more available to fall, but there the question of the quantity of water available in dry seasons would have to be thoroughly tested before going to any expense. He was informed in the neighbourhood of Te Kuiti a lake at a fairly high elevation exists, and if the supply be there this would, he thought, be ythe most likely place to look for a power scheme, but here, too, the supply of water in summer would have to be tested, and this might prove difficult or impossible. The total estimates were : £ Water Supply 15,565 Prainage • •• Streets and Roads ... fc>,4oo P Total ~.£25,286 Cr Julian said that eight miles ten chains from Te Kuiti the Mokau river could be tapped. It would give an inexhaustible supply of water on a dead level at the tource of supply 500 feet above the level ot Te Kuiti. Cr Hardy said the distance was a little further, but the railway line would be useful and we could have a 9in pipe to last for all time. The w»*or fv o m the Mokau would give an electric power r-'ant with 2201i>s ty. the square inch pressure, \yhich would be useful for flushing drains. The water was not contaminated at its source, but from the MangapefcW stream. ' The Mayor said we should want,a proper analysis making. in reply to questions from £he i Mayor, Mr Spencer, who wan |

said that no doubt they would have to go 8§ miles on the Mangaokewa to get a 200 feet fall and it was desirable to get 250 feet fall. If the Railway Department gave no facilities for laying the pipes alongside the line, provided the Mokau scheme were adopted, it would be almost as good a track to cume down the Waiteti road. The Waitara Borough Council had had permission from the Railway Department for similar work. The head of the Waiteti, also, waul 3 be a very good source, if there was a sufficient supply, but it could not be estimated now. The Mokau scheme would be a good deal cheaper than the Mangaokewa scheme, and they could absolutely rely upon it costing not more than £15,000. It was certainly worth looking into before committing themselves to any scheme. Dealing with the drainage report Mr Spencer, in reply to questions, said that the difference in levels between the two ends of the town was just about 21ft. In an Bft flood the water would back up about 12 chains, but it was impossible for it to reach residences.

The Mayor said that the snagging and cutting of willows in the Mangapu river had led to fewer floods, and he believed as the work was continued they would be a thing oc the past. Once the scheme was in operation they could reasonably count on saving £6OO of direct revenue. A special rate of lJd in the £l, along with the general rate of l|d, would pay the interest on a loan of £30,000. Eltham, with a lid special rate was paying interest and sinking fund and keeping the borough going on a loan of £55,000. When first formed it had much the same population as our borough, but situated as it was, between two other prosperous towns, it had not the same opportunities Te Kuiti had. For £30,000 they would get a thoroughly comprehensive scheme .including good lighting and once the bigger scheme was considered he would ask the council to meet and consider the question of lighting. He had no objection to electric lighting, but as other far cheaper light existed, electric light would have to be produced at a very tow cost to compete. He moved: "That after having carefully considered Mr Spencer's interim report and hearing his explanations of his scheme for drainage, water supply and street and roads, this council. is of opinion that the scheme is a wise and practicable one and within the means of the borough, and tha council decides to ask for a detailed final report.'' . Cr Lusk seconded. Cr Hardy moved an amendment in the direction of obtaining a separate report on the Mokau scheme, but after hearing explanations from Cr Lusk and the Mayor, who said the greater included the lesser, the amendment was dropped and the original motion carried. The Mayor said he understood that Mr Spencer would satisfy himself as to the levels and the various difficulties in carrying water to the town, so that the council would be justified in assuming that if the cost was stated at a certain figure it would not be exceeded. With regard to streets the council would have to consider the whole of the borough very carefully, so that the engineer could know exactly what was required and so that each individual ratepayer would know exactiy what work was to be done. Cr Julian wanted a borough engineer appointed, and thought it possible to get a first-class man for £350 a year. Cr Stevens said it was not much use Mr Spencer making a report if he was not going to carry it out, The Mayor said his experience was that a detailed report was made and the ratepayers sanction obtained- before an engineer was appointed, and once the drainage and water supply were in order they would have no need for an engineer and could not get one at any salary the borough could support. Cr Stevens explained that he did not mean Mr -Spencer should be appointed engineer, but that he sh.ould, if he made the report, carry out the work. Cr Hardy doubted whether a competent engineer could be got at the salary mentioned. Cr Lusk said they could not appoint an engineer. Tfcey had no money. What they wanted was a detailed report. Mr Spencer explained that a detailed report would enable, them to go to the ratepayers. THe matter of streets would have to be carefully gone into. He .could not say what the cost would be until he had covered the ground, Another report, covering the Mokau scheme, would be required, In the event of his scheme being adopted and carried by the ratepayer-*, and the Government gave the money, he would do the work for five per cent, of the total cost, finding all plans and specicfiations and supervising the work. The council should find a clerk of works, who would cost about £l5O a year for the two years' work entailed. The cost of the preliminary work would be included in the five percent., in the event of him getting the . whole work. Should the scheme not be carried out by him he would charge half per cent, on the cost. Cr Stevens moved that Mr Spencer be appointed to complete the report. Cr Spmerville seconded. —Carried.