WATER SUPPLY FOR AERODROME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 4

WATER SUPPLY FOR AERODROME

POORMAN’S VALLEY STREAM TO BE USED DIVERSION INTO RODING PIPELINE A TEMPORARY MEASURE In order to meet the immediate water supply requirements at the Nelson aerodrome, the Nelson City Council intends to divert from between one-third and half a million gallons of water daily from the Poorman’s Valley Stream into the main pipeline from the Roding Scheme, and it is expected that the aerodrome supply will be available within the next two weeks.

The water from Poorman’s Valley will be taken from the stream below the headworks of the Stoke Mental Hospital supply, and at a point only about 80 feet from the main pipeline at the mouth of the Roding tunnel. At the present time from one-third to half a million gallons of water daily is flowing out of the tunnel, but it cannot be used on account of pollution by the work which is being carried out in the tunnel. The aerodrome supply is an urgent matter and cannot wait until the pipes are laid through the tunnel. The amount of water to be taken from the Poorman’s Stream will be equivalent to the amount which is flowing out of the tunnel by seepage from the Roding side and thus the flow of the Poorman’s stream, which is a matter of interest to landowners along the stream, will not be diminished. RODING TUNNEL The City Engineer (Mr C. I. Kidson) stated to-day that about one-third of the necessary concrete lining of the tunnel has been completed and it is expected that that work will be far enough advanced to commence laying the pipes through the tunnel by the middle of January, by which time the headworks for the Roding supply will be completed. In the meantime the surplus water from the aerodrome supply will be available for the high levels in the city.