WATER FOR SYDNEY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 121, 21 April 1938, Page 9

WATER FOR SYDNEY

BIG STORAGE SCHEME. ENORMOUS UNDERTAKINGS. Interesting comments were made by the Palmerston North city engineer (Mr J. It. Hughes) to the “Standard” to-day, on Sydney’s water supply undertaking when he spoke of a dam which had cost £1,250,000 the most recent of four, which was practically empty owing to lack of rain, and the decision of the authorities to spend £BOO,OOO on a purely emergency measure for pumping water. Mr Hughes recently attended the conference of the Institution of Engineers (Australia) in Sydney as one of three New Zealand delegates. Mr Hughes said the conference coincided with the 150th anniversary celebrations; and lasted eight days. Five hundred delegates and visitors attended.

Several papers were read and discussed during the conference and numerous visits of inspection made to various works. The lady visitors were also taken to undertakings in which they would be particularly interested, and the most enjoyable of that series had been to the manufacturing plant of a large biscuit making company. Papers of particular interest to Mr Hughes were “Road Engineering and Development in Australia,” by the chief engineer of the Roads Department; “The History and Development of Port Kembla,” by the Minister of Works and Local -Government in New South Wales. The visits proved most interesting and included one to the large outfall sewer now under construction by the Sydney Water and Drainage Board. ‘ “This work is being carried out partly for the purpose of absorbing unemployed and is being financed by a loan to the Water Board from the Government at a low rate of interest,” said Mr Hughes. “The board is in the midst of works involving an expenditure of £3,000,000 and has 10,000 men in employment.-” The conference concluded with a 350-mile motor tour lasting three days, when visits were paid to the large iron and steel works at Port Kembla and thence to a very modern cement works. One afternoon was spent at the Nepean River Dam, the latest erected by the Sydney Water Board. THE NEPEAN DAM. “Tlie completion of this dam gives a total of four large dani3 in this locality,” Mr Hughes said. “The dam is approximately 50 miles from Sydney and the water is stored in the four sectional dams, which have a catchment’ area of 263 square miles. The aggregate storage capacity of the four is 106,343 million gallons when full. Even with this huge storage capacity Sydney is at present in the unfortunate position of facing a water shortage. The last reservoir to be built was completed about 18 months ago, but it has practically no water in it, due to the fact that no rain of any consequence has fallen on the watershed for the last two years. As the wet season has now passed the authorities expect to have to impose restrictions, as the >vater in storage will only last 18 months. They have therefore decided to proceed immediately with an emergency pumping scheme at a cost of about £BOO,OOO. The last dam on the Nepean River cost £1,250,000. Incidentally, the Water Board supplies the whole countryside within a radius of about 50 miles of Sydney. “The water is delivered from the four dams into the stream and then picked up at a lower point by a con-crete-lined canal, for a distance ot about 40 miles, to the Mount Prospect Reservoir.. From there the water is distributed to various pumping stations by pipe lines and a high pressure tunnel 300 feet below the surface of the earth to a central point in the city, from’which it is pumped to reservoirs on the surrounding hills. I was informed that at least 75 per cent of the city water supply is pumped, that position having developed from the initial scheme.” STEEL SHORTAGE. Referring to the steel shortage in New Zealand owing to the pressure ol orders at the steel-works in Australia, Mr Hughes said the Broken Hill 1 roprietary works at Port Kembla were working three shifts, throughout the 24 hours of the day. A large sum of money was being spent) on additions to the plant for the purpose of overtaking the orders which had been accumulating tor some time. Jt. was hoped that within the next lew mem is there would he no difficulty in iulhl.linrr New Zealand orders. “Officers of local bodies were most kind and supplied me with much information which will be ol use to the City Council here,” Mr Hughes concluded.