BLENHEIM'S WATER SUPPLY

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 145, 21 June 1913, Page 8

BLENHEIM'S WATER SUPPLY

[to the editor.]

Sir, —Permit me to point out, now that the proposed water and drainage schemes laire for the present laid aside, that it vyill give time for a reconsideration of the Taylor River's claim to be, finally iind advantageously adoptedfor ■'- the ' above purpose,Iso lessening expenditure while securing gravitation and-avoiding the expense of pumping. 'The supposed insufficiency of a Taylor supply during the diy season of the year'can be safely 4and permanently met iby the construction of two reservoirs, for which, the natural configuration; of the ground affords desirable sites,- and these again can be formed by constructing retaining walls across two contracted points on the main river, their height land strength being regulated by the number of million gallons required for present u&o arid future requirements. The first and largest reservoir can be placed not far from where the old accommodation house formerly stood, there to receive the upper waters of the Taylor, together with a branch joining it from an opposite direction, both, of which streams have through past ages formed a wide and deeply gorged bod capable of being enclosed by ia strong retaining "wall «ome chains lower down, where the river narrows between rocky moun- j tain slopes; the height and strongt: ' of this1 retaining wall being fixed by the volume of water to be stored. This position is some. 000 feet above the town, and its overflow when embanked ' could. be utilised for electrical purposes as well -as supplying additional water to t!he lower reservoir proposed to be constructed by a similar embankment across the mouth of the Branch Stream, which1 supplies a large proportion of the Taylor water. Uiis stream when dammed can be made to retain several mill ion gallons tat a. height of about 400 feet above the town, which-, after allowing for friction due to its passing through pipes, would by gravitation) meet all requirements, while avoiding th© expense of pumping for final uses as at present proposed. The gathering area, again, from which tho TayloaKiver draws its supply fe all clean Sheep country, which can never be Tmilt over or fouled. As Blenheim is at present amply supplied with pure artesian water for all domestic purposes, the sewage question j> by far tiie more important [requirement of tne town, and this can be met and oarned^put as required by adopting the septic tank system, now in operation m several of the large tand populous cities of England, including toter, .where the Local Government .Board conducted the most searchincc inquiries with the most satisfactory results. While, Blenheim remains the northern capital of the Middle Island in name alone, a heavy expenditure tor sewerage and water supply is only Wcely to drive ponnlation into the •fcurbs.ancl so do)«,v what is a t ■^ required. Wien the Main .Lino i.s completed and n nil(! trade follow will ho 1 for heavy borrowinp- and takings, which even' then modified and possibly il not equal results % FrCTDDLBSTON, CE