WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 66, 18 March 1911, Page 7

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

!*' TO THE EDITOB. v (Sir,—l am pleased to see that Councillor Wiffen's "slump on the Twain" has awakened from the sleep it was enjoying at the Council meeting at the first stages of the water and drainage discussion, when. I explained the possibility of the sewerage coming out at the sumps and manholes at the lowest places. There was no mention made of this fact; in the engineer's report before the meeting. Councillor Wifferi, along with other Councillors, ridiculed the idea Qf my attempting to criticise the engineer's report, and it was only after that discussion that Councillor Parker wrote to the engineer oh the question, and the reply fully bore out the statements made by me. However, it might suit Councillor Wiffen's elastic memory to believe that he was aware of that danger before it was brought up by me. He has now conquered the position by suggesting that in automatic "cock" would prevent anything from coming out of the sewerage pipes. Does it not strike you that with sewage matter you are dealing with different stuff from clean water, and that there is a grave possibility of the cock" getting jammed? The only T« w, ay to stoF the sewage back would be to provide a four-inch iron sluice or rate valve, and not trust to automata working; cost about £3 each. Now the awkward position arises, what e-e you going to do in the meantime? Would you not want

I two closets?. In Christehurch they | have a system of linderground stormy ' water and duplex sewers. Not one ' in Blenheim would work with/ a slight fresh in the rivers. Whilst fully atv j predating the Mayor's thooghtfulness in collecting information in Christchurch, I should like to hear him on the finance of the city and its scheme to form some comparison. Blenheim's area is 1571 acres, population 3500: Christchurch area 4798 acres (including over 600 acres of re- ; serves), '■ ''jpopulaltion -about 70.000. Note that Christchurch is Only three times the area of Blenheim, and the population about twenty times greater. ■ Blenheim's valuatidhi roll £306,463, Ghri^chlirch £4.35p;6p4.. Therefore Ch¥istchurch is working financially tpith over' £4,000,000 •of ratable -property <t&\ draw, revenue s from. My views are' that Christchurch is working on five times beter oircumst&ncek all round than Blenheim, i.e.;'^king5 ajrea,' population and finance;-ihtd' consideration'; and sanitary pipes have also risen in price here about -50 per cent. ; FRANK ADAMS.