THE WATERWORKS.—A DANGER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4669, 31 October 1876, Page 3

THE WATERWORKS.—A DANGER.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I wish to urge on the City Council a point that seems to have escaped notice hitherto in connection with the waterworks. The cause of the Western Springs, and, I may say, their source, lies in the natural • reservoirs known as Cabbage-Tree Swamp and the peculiar formation of the country in connection therewith. A hollow and depression in the country occurs there, whieh. i receives the rainfall by the numerous gullies and streams from the surrounding country, and having. no outlet,, the water,. filters through the scoria beds and lava' into the lower grounds at the Western Springs. At that place it meets with, a • barrier of clay bordering the Waitemata, and ~ finding no escape, it bursts up at the lowest point, where the waterworks now are, in the shape of pure and abnndant springs. I would wish to point out the desirability of scouring the riparian rights of the sws.-rp - area and the watercourses and streams leading into it, else some fine day, when land is , sufficiently valuable to pay for it, some drainage scheme in connection with the swamp may put a finis to the water supply of or some noxious chemicalmanufactory may be established on its banks. A walk to the high ground overlooking the swamp will render this plain to any observer. He will observe the watershed of a large area of clay country falling into a natural reservoir in the scoria, without any outlet, and then filtering through the scon* tul a barrier of , clay at the foot of scoria country forces the water up again, it flows by Motion's Creek 'to the VV ait emat a. —-X am, '&c.'i J ' ■ ■ * - October 28", '1876. ■• . ~ Mr. Greenway notifies that no transfer of the Pacific Hotel, Queen-street, is binding without his written consent;, .