THE WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11433, 25 July 1900, Page 3

THE WATER SUPPLY.

TO THE EDITOR. . Sir,—Much as I object to nom-de-plume ■letters, I cannot let the one in your Friday's 'paper go unnoticed. "Aqua" ••'•"Mr. Vailo takes exception to wooden fluming/onthe ground of its long use."■ Will the people of Auckland be content that the water which supplies the city should sun for miles, open to pollution of all kinds by the larrikins of Auckland? In the early days, when the Dutch and English settlod South' Africa, open waterways were used, but now I do not know of one town there which is riot supplied through pipes. Will "Aqua" kindly mention a few towns whore, sav, within the last 10 years, they.have adopted the open watercourse system or fluming? AtLako Tskapuna (" Aqua" says) thero are many dwellings draining into the lake. This I deny in toto., If his statements had a grain of truth in them, it -would cast a slur on all us resident settlers round the lake. First and foremost, no water running;. from the slopes cf the lake can injure the/purity of the water. No one whom I have ever met has at any time seen ' the lake discoloured. Tho source from which' Hochstetter ■ says the lake derives its water supply is Kangitoto,'by submarine tunnel. Thero is therefore a flow of water to tho lake borders, but mostly to tho sea side. All impure water then remains at the edge of the lake.until it finds its way to the sea, as the lake is lift 4in above sea level. If "Aqua" will come and show me oils drain from a houso which now goes into tho lako I will see that a hole is dug below the lake level, so that tho water may run into the sea, As to the enormous population lie says is to live on the lake slopes, it will be very easy (should it^be' required), to put a drain through to the sea beach"; i below the levol of the lake, arid thus dispose of that ■difficulty.'"' -V -

: ' In the matter of water supply for Auckland ■ city, would it not be'bettor, before committing • the city to any more expenses,'..to ask .the advice of the man who should know best, ;arid on whom :wo can all depend ? ;*„': I. mean Mr. Percy ■ Smith, a*' man who, after fcrv.inff for years.as Surveyor-General, is 'now. retiring with credit. I ,', Had ho been consulted at first, hundreds of pounds.would have been saved. ; Messrs. Stewart : and Anderson wore the ! only people i employed by' tho ; City. Council ,to report on the. lake."> • Mr. ? Mest'ayer only went by their report, and was,' I believe, only rin hour or go at the lake. Regarding tho rise and fall of the lake, I m*y, mention that from summer level the rise is now between 13in and Win, or between 80,000,000 and 90,000,000 gallons. It has :to rise to 20iin before the normal winter level is reached!— I am, etc., ..;.v : fi. Harrow Buona "Vista, Lake Takapunaf '."' July 21,1900. .-''■"■;.-,.- li~,.