CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 62, 11 February 1936, Page 9

CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR. DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEM. In an address at the weekly meeting of the Palmerston North Rotary- Club yesterday, the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) dealt with the development of the city’s water supply and outlined briefly the Joan proposals which are to be placed before the ratepayers this month. The chair was occupied by the president of the club (Mr AV. E. Winks), and at the close of the address a vote of thanks to the speaker was moved by Mr 11. H. Spencer. Describing the water supply system as it obtains to-day, the Mayor said the main source of supply was from the Tiritea Stream, augmented by the artesian supply from Heretaunga Street. The catchment region at Tiritea had a total area of 6587 acres, and all but a small portion of that was covered by virgin bush. A small portion was private property and bad been denuded of bush. The water derived from Tiritea amounted, in round figures, to P,970,000 gallons daily, and 550,000 gallons daily from the artesian supply. That had been the. maximum in a week in December, 1935. The water from Tiritea came through a 15-incli pipe from the reservoir for 85 chains, through two 12-inc.h diameter mains for 115 chains, then through a 15-inch pipe to the intersection of Linton Road for a distance of 130 chains, and finally through one 12-inch main and another 9-inch main over the reservoir lull to the Fitzherbert bridge, a distance. of 123 chains. The supply from the Heretaunga Street wells was pumped direct into the reticulation system when the pressure fell below a certain level, and the pumping automatically ceased when the required pressure had been reached again. GROWTH OF CONSUMPTION.

“Since the original installation the city has grown in successive stages as new blocks have been subdivided for residential areas in each quarter of the town, necessitating the installation of the four-inch mains to provide a supply,” the speaker proceeded. “The result has been low pressures where a, number of consumers are drawing oil mains of any great length. The present reservoir has a capacity of 33,000,000 gallons, and was completed during 1912 when the population of the town was about 11,000. Since the inception of the scheme in 1912 the only major works undertaken have been the installation of the artesian scheme and the laying of feeder mains within the city boundaries. During the past 15 years the various councils in office have realised that with the rapid growth in population the question of providing an increased supply of water required their attention. In January, 1921, the city engineer drew attention to the low pressures in the town and in 1923 he again drew the council’s attention to the necessity of increasing the size of the supply mains, and at the same time suggested the advisability of laying feeder mains to the outlying, portions of the city, particular reference being made to the laying of a 12-inch feeder main to supply the Terrace End portion of the city. Again, in 1923, he submitted a further report on the available sources of supply comprising the Tiritea, Kahuterawa and Pohangina Streams, and as the question had become one of serious importance the engineer asked for the assistance of an independent engineer to confer with and bring down a joint report. “In April, 1924, a joint report from Mr Toogood and the city, engineer recommended that a new supply main be laid, of 21-inch diameter, together with feeder mains varying from 18inches to 9 inches in diameter along various streets to improve the pressures in the city. They further recommended the construction of a new dam at the head of the present reservoir, to be built 80 feet in height with a storage capacity of 188,000,000 gallons. A further report from Messvs Holmes and Son was submitted in December, 1926, and that endorsed the whole of the recommendations put forward by Mr Toogood and the city engineer, with the exception that they did not recommend the deviation of the 21-inch main from Linton Road to Iliverbank Road, advising adherence to the present route.” Proceeding, the Mayor said that the council had adopted the report_ and placed a propose 1 for a loan of £55,700. That, however, had been rejected by the ratepayers. The speaker referred to the auginentation of the supply in other ways and touched on the sinking of an artesian well in the vicinity of the Hospital following the obtaining of a report from Messrs Vickcrman and Lancaster, the work being done in 1930. After its installation the scheme proved highly satisfactory and helped considerably in maintaining pressures. During 1931-32, financed out of revenue, the 18-incii main was extended from the Bank or New Zealand to College Street along Fitzherbert Avenue. The artesian supply had since been augmented by the putting down of an additional 6-incli welt at Heretaunga Street m February, 1932. THREE MAJOR SCHEMES.

The Mayor outlined reports which had been made in regard to three major schemes ior the city, the further development of the Tiritca supply, the drawing of water from the Jvahuterawa Stream and the drawing ol a supply from the Poliangina River headwaters. Calculations had shown that with the storage proposed, with conditions as in the worst six months of drought in the last 30 years, the catchment area at Tiritea was suitable for the requirements of 34,000 people using 100 gallons daily each lhe estimated cost was £147,830, hut several of the recommendations had already been carried out, reducing the estimate for the development of the Tiritea supply to £117,175. The cost of the 1 phangina River scheme would probably be in the vicinity of £250,000.” The Mayor then made reference to tiie report of Messrs Vickerman and Lancaster regarding the artesian wells in the city the report stating, inter alia, that it was clear there was ample artesian water available for present borough requirements, and that bigger flows could be relied upon if necessary, lhe report also mentioned that the utilisation of artesian water was intended to be an adjunct of the present gravitation supply. For the complete accomplishment of the scheme a ring main for distribution within the borough, much as was proposed under the gravitation scheme, was required, with several pumping stations adjacent to and pumping into this, the Tiritea dam and main being utilised for balancing pressures as well as for giving part o' the supply. At the present time the fm rheme was not necessary as 30,000 gallons per hour introduced into the borough independently of the Tiritea main would leave the latter supplying a maximum of 60-65,000 gallons hourly, with pressures of 751 b at the hospital and 1051 b in the Square, which would be quite satisfactory. Continuing, the Mayor said: 1 have already stated that the scheme • proposed by these engineers has been in operation since October, 1930. In 1930 the population was 20,000, but now it is 24,000, there being an increase .of 20 per cent.” The speaker then mentioned that many arguments could be put forward

in favour of universal metering, but that for a town of 6000 services the installation cost would approximate £25,000. There were, however, many advantages which would ultimately be obtained, and it was a problem which was being faced by all growing towns. THE LOAN PROPOSALS. “This month the council will be submitting loan proposals to the ratepayers,” continued Mr Mansford. “The first is for an additional artesian supply to serve the Terrace End district. The scheme will involve an expenditure of £8260 and will provide lor an artesian well, a reservoir of ■ 300,000 gallons capacity and electrically-oper-ated pumps. If carried out, this scheme, acting in the capacity of a booster service, will greatly assist in maintaining adequate pressures in that area. The other proposal is the laying of a larger supply main in a very important section of the Tiritea pipeline, and involves an expenditure of £14,300 for a length of two miles. The council’s attention lias been drawn to this section, as it consists of some of the earliest mains laid in connection with the water supply and is now consequently of too small a capacity to meet the demand made upon it in times of heavy draw-off. The laying of the 21-inch main is a portion of_ the ‘major scheme recommended to the council some years ago. I am placing both proposals before you as fairly as I can, but there is no doubt that Palmerston North will have to go in for an extensive scheme in the future. Whether the Tiritea scheme should be perserved with is a moot point.” Personally, he was opposed to the Tiritea proposal, said the Mayor. He thought that the artesian well scheme should be favoured until the city reached better times, and then the rivetscheme could be investigated. DISCUSSION BY MEMBERS.

Mr J. C. Young said, in -the course of a discussion, that in his opinion a hold comprehensive piolicy should he laid before the ratepayers. He thought that such a policy would be endorsed. If the council started “tinkering” with small seemes they might last for 20 years and then the people would have to wait for another 20 years before a major scheme was undertaken. The same view was expressed by Mr F. J. Nathan. The artesian well scheme might supply Terrace Fnd, hut it would not serve the rest of the city. As ail instance, a week’s hot weather had set at nought months of work by the city curator in the Square when hosing was forbidden. All residents desired to use their garden horses in dry weather to aid their gardens, and if there was not an adequate water supply then one of the attractioons of living in town would he gone. What was required was a comprehensive scheme, remarked Mr Nathan.

Mr A. A. Langley, a member of the City Council, thought that a mistake had been made in not going before the ratepayers with the full proposal for the borrowing of £117,000 for tlio carrying out of the complete Tiritea scheme. The Tiritea scheme was the bettter one for the city, but he thought that even then the full proposals should be carried out.

The chairman (Mr W. E. Winks) commented that the larger laon was one to replace mains that would have to be replaced anyway. It did not seem right to him that there should be any opposition to that at allMr R. H. Spencer considered that both loans would be necessary to give the city the best water supply under the circumstances. He said he would vote for both proposals.