REMEDY SOUGHT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 31 August 1945, Page 4

REMEDY SOUGHT

FLOODING OF STORMWATER DRAINS PETITION TO CITY COUNCIL LOWER ST. VINCENT AND VANGUARD STREETS The Hooding which took plac* in Natalie Street, Sharp’s Lane, Gloucester Street. Lower Vanguard Street and Lower St. Vincent Street last Sunday resulted in a petition, signed by 36 residents of the areas affected, being forwarded to yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Nelson City Council. The petitioners protested against the system of disposing of the stormwater and requested the council to take steps to rectify the trouble. It was derided to reply that the work of making iir.provements to the drainage system" was part of a very large scheme which the council hoped to undertake in the future, and which would be the subject of a loan poll. The petition was as follows: “We wish to protest strenuously against the inadequate and unsatisfactory system of disposing of stormwater that now exists in our locality. In the heavy rains on Sunday, the 26th August, up to two feet of water was flowing swiftly through some of our properties and the locality resembled the river rather than a residential quarter. The swiftness of the current caused considerable erosion and damage to gardens. Some of the trouble appears due to the stormwater drains in Natalie street being connected with the ditch in St. Vincent street, for as soon as the water in this ditch rises the water backs .up the drains and pours through th e grids. Surely with the modern methods of sanitation now available it should not be necessary for us to tolerate such a deplorable state of inconvenience whenever heavy rains are experienced and wo request that you take steps to rectify this trouble.” PART OF BIG SCHEME The Mayor (Mr E. R. Neale) commented that the City Engineer, in his comment on the back-flooding of the sewer in part of Vanguard street, had supplied the answer to the petition concerning stormwater—it was part of a big scheme. The Mayor explained that stormwater drainage improvements were on the council’s list of urgent works suggested for rehabilitation works. For some time the Council had been trying to get the Government’s attitude on the question of subsidies for such works. Councillor S. I. Russell referred to the present high rates position and asked if it was thought that the scheme could be carried out within the next few years. He suggested that the Council try to get money made available by the Government. PROBABLE COST The City Engineer (Mr C. I. Kidson) commented that Sharp’s Lane was only four inches above high water level. There was a fast flow of water in the ditches in the upper parts of Vanguard and St. Vincent streets, but when they flattened out further down they overflowed. There was very little fall between the area of the petitioners and the sea. The position could be improved, but only at considerable cost.

Asked what the city stormwater drainage improvement scheme would cost the Engineer replied; “In the order of £50.000.”

Councillor F. H. Sharland said that any work of a temporary nature would be of little use. The housing development in Emano street would send more quickly draining water down the v'alley. Councillor S. W. Street pointed out that there would always be flooding in the lower areas of any town during exceptional rains. Only the carrying out of a major scheme would bring about a remedy. However, no drainage scheme could cope with all extraordinary circumstances.