TRENCH WORK IN HOT WATER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 28 March 1936, Page 8

TRENCH WORK IN HOT WATER

OHINEMUTU SEWERAGE SCHEME TRENCHES AMID SPRINGS The opening of the Ohinemutu, Rotorua, sewerage scheme marks the completion of a very unusual and difficult undertaking. The scheme, which entailed the construction of two miles of drains and mains, has been carried out almost entirely in a liighly-thermal area and under conditions probably unique in drainage engineering, with the possible exception of those encountered at Whakarewarewa some time ago.

In spite of the fact that in many areas the Maori workmen doing the excavating stood in hot water and worked amid almost continual steam, there were no serious accidents, and the work was done within the estimates and up to scheduled time. One workman bad his foot scalded when hot water blew out of the bottom of the excavation made for the main pumphig station tank, on the lake side at Ohinemutu, but with this exception there were no injuries from hot water or steam. The workmen adopted their own measures to cope with the unusual conditions, filling their gum hoots with cold water and working for only a few minutes at a time in the really hot spots. At one stage'the main had to be taken between two active hot springs. This was done successfully by constructing a special drain which led away the greater part of the hot water.