LOAN FOR £10,000.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 160, 8 June 1937, Page 2

LOAN FOR £IO,OOO.

CITV COUNCIL SUGGESTION,

IMPROVEMENT OF SEWERS,

As the outcome of a report presented to the Palmerston North City Council, last evening, by the city engineer (Mr J.. R 7 Hughes) the council decided to make application to the Local Government Loans' Hoard for permission to take a poll of ratepayers on a proposal to raise £IO,OOO for sewerage purposes. The report came forward as the result of a discussion at a recent meeting of the council on the condition of the main outfall sewer along Ferguson Street. Botanical Road and College Street, the engineer then being asked to make a special report. The report stated: “From my knowledge of these sewers during the past 17 years, T should say that we can expect a collapse any time, more particularly in the section in College Street. From memory, we have averaged two serious breaks, every year, not to mention the repairs .which have had to lie Carried out every time a private house connection is put in. Whenever a connection is made to the sewer it is invariably found that the pipes are broken; in some eases new n : pes have to be laid, but in others ■the existing pipes have been surrounded with concrete to prevent the pipes •spreading. The most serious breaks have occurred in College Street, the most recent one requiring 8 feet of new pip : ng and 16 cubic yards of spoil to fill in the cavity formed in the surrounding ground. Following my earlier report in 1920, wherein I advised that these sewers should be relaid, that portion of Ferguson Street between Botanical Road and West Street was reconstructed in 1929, prior to the asphalting of the roadway. ‘•l'he cost of the College Street section will be expensive. I have made enquiries regarding the nature of the soil and the difficulties the original contractor had to contend with. The depth at which the sewer has to be laid averages 12 feet. The present sewer is 18 inches in diameter, but I would not recommend anything less tlvn 24-inch for the new fewer.

“As regards the Botanical Road portion between College Stieet and Ferguson Street, this has not given as much trouble in recent years as the sections already referred to. I am given lo understand that the pipes were strengthened with iron bands before being laid; as there is some doubt as to the condition of those pipes to-day I have provided in the estimate for relaying this section. 1 estimate the cost as follows: —24-inch diameter concrete pipe sewer :u College Street. £7040; 18-inch dimeter concrete pipe sewer in Botanical Read between College and 1 ergusou Streets. £1450; 18-inch diameter concrete pipe «°wer in Ferguson Street. beU'-Cen West and Cook Streets £1250, making a total ot £9740.” The recommendation by tnc works committee in regard to the matter was as follows: —“That application be made to the Local ' Government Leans Board for permission to lake a poll of ratepayers on a -proposal to raise the sum of £lO 000 for sewerage purposes, as outlined t>v the c,ly engiTliat recommendation Mas adopted without comment.