CHRISTCHURCH DRAINAGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12402, 16 January 1901, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH DRAINAGE.

'SYDENHAM COUNCIL AND THE DRAINAGE BOARD. At the Drainage Board meeting yesterday a letter was read' from the’ Sydenham Borough Council, drawing the Board’s attention to the fact that when the Board defined the sewage areas of Christchurch and Christchurch suburban districts, the Board was supposed to have sufficient fupds for, and contemplated piping, those districts according to Mr Clark’s scheme. Since then the funds of the Board had been expendsd and 38 miles 18 chains of streets in the sewage area remained unpiped. The Board was therefore unable to carry' out the scheme, and the division had consequently become inequitable. The Board, in making the divisions, had defined the outer limits of the sewage area generally as about two and a half chains outside, the outer lines of proposed pipes, and the Council therefore thought that the same principle should be observed in connection with all sewers ; as it was practically impossible to connect any premises with sewers more than that distance away. The Council hoped the Board would re-define the districts indicated in accordance with Section 2 of The Christchurch District Drainage Act, 187 b, Amendment Act, 1877. Mr Taylor said it seemed to him that the Sydenham Borough Council wanted the Board to re-define the sewage area within the sewage area, that was to say, that all streets within the sewage area that were not within two and & half chains of a sewer should be cut out, and included in the rural area. This, under the amended Act of last session, would increase the drainage rate enormously to a section of the ratepayers, who, though they nominally had sewage accommodation, were unable to avail themselves of such sewers. To adopt such a principle would be unjust and inequitable to a large number, of ratepayers, in view' of the" fact that the sewage area generally had been vastly improved from a sanitary point of view, by the operations of the Drainage Board. He would move that the Board, after careful consideration, cannot see ; its way to re-define the sewage area as suggested by the Sydenham Borough Council. The portions in the rural area were well served' by thfe storm water .drains. It would be very unjust to agree to the. Council’s proposal. , The motion was seconded by Mr Smith, and carried.