Artesian Bore Causes Council Anxiety

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 236, 6 October 1936, Page 8

Artesian Bore Causes Council Anxiety

CONTRACTOR UNABLE TO DRIVE FURTHER

A little more light was thrown upon the position of the artesian -bore at Vogel street when the City Council discussed tho subject last evening on a motion by Cr. J. T. .$. Heatley to hold up work on the adjacent reservoir till such time as the quantity of water obtainable was ascertained.

Cr. Heatley said he was not trying to obstruct tho council in tho desire to get a sufficient supply of water but the position was that the contractor lor the well had gone down 420 feet and now could not get an inch further. Cr. G. Tremaine seconded the motion, stating that it had been represented to him that even if no water was secured, the reservoir could be filled during night time with water from Tiritea which could be used during the day to boost the pressure in the higher areas of Terrace End. However, no thought it questionable whether the reservoir could be filled in a night without causing a serious shortage of water during the process, in the area arounu about. The Mayor (Mr. A. E. Mansford) pointed out that thero was the legal position to be considered. If the contractor for the reservoir were stopped now, he might bring an action against the council. The Mayor said that without tho shadow of a doubt, there was water thero and Cr. Tennent had demonstrated an even bigger flow near at hand. Before taking any extreme action the council should bo sure of the legal position. Mr. Mansford also pointed out that before tho reservoir could be used, the concrete would have to be allowed to stand and holding up the construction might even prevent the council from using it for the storage of Tiritea water in time to meet a dry summer. The engineer (Mr. J. R. Hughes) foresaw a delay in using the reservoir till February if the work was stopped now. Cr. W. B. Cameron said he looked upon Cr. Heatley’s suggestion as a retrograde step. The council was in a position now no different from that which it was in at the very start. All it had then was the assuranco of a water diviner and surely the council had not lost faith in a water-bearing strata which was already supplying their wells. Even if the council had to corno down off the terrace for a bore, the reservoir would still be needed to give pressure in the mains. Cr. Cameron thought the council right in determining its contract with the weil-borer and trying some other method of getting water, lie did not think the plant used by the contractor was capable of driving the pipes to the required depth and tlie council had rightly refused a request that the 6-inch pipes should be telescoped with tho 4-inch ones which would lessen the flow bj r something like half.

Or. W. B. Tenneut also looked upon Cr. Heatley’s suggestion as a retrograde step and considered it would be likely to cause a certain amount of panic amongst the ratepayers. The contractor, for some considerable distance, had been boring through sand and the speaker was inclined to agree that r; must bo tho plant that was at fault. However, the council had the alternatives of teles -oping the present bore or putting another one down in another spot. His own opinion was that it would be fatal to adopt the first procedure. Cr. Tenneut said another gentleman with water-divining attributes had confirmed his own findings. At Heretaunga street the artesian flow was from 110 to 30 feet wide, whereas the one adjacent to the Vogel street bore was 43 feet wide. He was satisfied the council would bo wise to consider the extra expense of puttiug down a C-inch bore in the new position as they were likely to get a flow 50 per cent, greater than that from the Heretaunga street wells.

Cr. Heatley declared himself still an “atheist” regarding water-divining but he would point out that the ratepayers never agreed to the loan so that the council could pump Tiritea water into the Vogel street reservoir. Cr. Teunent pointed out that another bore could be put down before the reservoir was completed so that they would stili be in time to meet the requirements of a dry summer. The motion was lost, those voting for it being Crs. Heatley, Tremaine and Stevenson. -