CITY WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13485, 11 May 1907, Page 7

CITY WATER SUPPLY.

• WAITAKEREI EXTENSION' COMPLETED. '..'."■ - : '■■■■' ' ' THE "TURNING-ON" CEREMONY. The formal ceremony of the turning-oil of the water from the new Waitakerei extension service was performed sit the reservoir at the corner of Karangahape and Ponsonby Roads, Newton, at noon yesterday, by the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. A. "U. Myers), in the presence of a large number of citizens. Amongst those present, V in addition to the Mayor, were: Sir John \ Logan Campbell, Mesrs. W. E. Hutchison, jj°sl.'Snieeton, R. Farrell, 0. Knight, ■•• A." E. Glover, P. M. Mackay, W. C. Somers (members of the City Council), H. W. Wilson (town clerk), H. Munro Wilson } and J. Carlaw (the engineers' who carried out the Waitakerei scheme), W. E. Bush (city engineer), Mayor of Newmarket (Mr. F. Bennett), Messrs. Buckleton (Auckland manager of the Bank of New Zealand, representing the Mephau-Ferguson Co.), I. '!' . Evans, T. Gresham, R. French, G. Savers,' ■ - G. J. Garland, W. Murray, W. Martin, Scholefield (members of Grey j,ynn Borough Council), R. H. Irwin (town clerk, of Grey Lynn), J. Jenkin (chairman of the Archhill Road Board), and others. Apologies were received for the absence of the Mayor of Grey Lynn (Mr. J. Farrell), '.-'Messrs. J, A. Pond (colonial analyst). J. C. Smith (of the Mephan-Ferguson Co.), and J. A. Moody (contractors for the pipe- ' laying). • SPEECH BY THE MAYOR. ; : fe- Prior to performing the ceremony of turning on the water the Mayor addressed those present. He expressed pleasure in the first place 'at the presence of the "Father of Auckland" (Sir John Logan ' '.'." Campbell)(applause) —and also at "the '.' presence of the representatives of several i local bodies who derived their water supply from the city service. They 1 had, he said, met that day to celebrate the acconrk- • nlishment of a portion of the "Waitakerei . i water extension /scheme. ft might be ' thought that they { were performing the ceremony at the wrong end, but in view of the uncertainty of the weather it had been

deemed advisable to bold the function »i •' the Auckland end of the pipes. In out lining the. history of the -undertaking just completed, he said that a lew years age ■ it became "manifest that the supply froir ' the Western Springs, which was inaugurated in 1877, was no longer sufficient for the • .growing population. The Council found . ~ itself compelled to take immediate action, and the auxiliary supply was brought in , ' from Nihotupu, and turned on on Febru- | ary 22, 1902. But though that supply re- . j lieved the necessities of the moment, it " could only be regarded as a temporary expedient; and -it was estimated, judging from past experience, that in five years' ', '• time some further provision would be re- '" quired. The City Council accordingly instructed Mr. J. Carlaw, their waterworks ■, / " engineer, and Mr. H." M. Wilson, engineer to the Waitemata County Council, to V; ' ■'.' report on a permanent supply; and these ||I;.' engineers recommended '■■. the Waitakerei River and Nihotupu-Huia extension. The > • Council then consulted Mr. R. 12 Mestayer, of Wellington, who examined, besides the . . streams selected, the Waikato River, the ' Hunua Falls on the Wairoa South, the Maungatawhiri Creek, and the head waters of the Wairoa. As the result, of his examination Mr. Mestayer gave his unqualiSk v fied approval to the proposals of Messrs. ;>' ' Carlaw and „ Wilson(applause)which were accordingly adopted by the Council. ■) One great advantage of obtaining the water from the Waitakerei ranges was that ' a the work could be carried out gradually, as required, thus spreading the capital ex- - penditure over a number of years. The ■ minimum flow of running water in. the vS&Waitakerei stream during the dry weather was 1,500,000 gallons in 24 hours and. by i" .. instructing two dams. at Waitakerei; i ■ "'■'■■'■- r>rfr/»"■""*•»'<" -progress, about- • mrntoti gallons of water would be impounded, which for 90 days during the dry weather would provide not far short of three million gallons per day in addition, while the present'Nihotupu supply would bring the total quantity ■ up to over 5£ million • gallons per day. That "was estimated jto provide for 11 "or 12 years, after whicTi It might be necessary either to pump a small : , quantity during summer from the Western Springs, or to proceed with the NihotupuHuia extension, which -was- estimated to .■' ' yield four million gallons per day. The. Waitakerei portion of the scheme was estimated to cost £150.000, and that sura was ; accordingly borrowed. In June, 1905, tenders were called for the supply and -.- de-: livery of 16 miles of pipes and specials, i and the contract was obtained by the !!■' . Mephan-Ferguson Patent Locking-Bar Steal Pipe Company, -who have completed it in a • very satisfactory manner. The tender for . - trenching and laying 14 miles of pipes was ' let to Mr. J. A. Moody, the other two. miles, from the break pressure reservoir to the falls, being laid by day labour. The other work at the ranges necessary for the I' .', completion of the scheme is being carried out partly by contract and partly. by day , labour. The excavation for .the break ! : ;;#■< pressure reservoir has been ' completed, '' ','. pipes laid into the reservoir on piers, and ' , the floor nearly completed. In the meantime temporary intakes were provided. The excavations of the site for the main - impounding dam had been proceeding duv- ■ i > ing the year, and could be completed above water level in a month. This dam would he built of concrete, and would impound about 130. million gallons of water. 'It was proposed to let the construction of the „:-;; impounding reservoir by contract, and it .'.."-was estimated that it will take fully 18 months to complete: but, meanwhile, the water gravitating to town would be piped over from a temporary dam on the upstream tide. A second dam was being built of wood further up yie creek, -which will impound an additional 65. million kh.l- - lotiK. The total amount spent on the Wai-«u-erei extension scheme to March 31 last was £94.966; the engineer's estimate of "•he amount required to' complete the scheme, including outstanding liabilities ; "n existing contracts, was £36,960: the amount-required for purchase of land was -4182; leaving a balance of about £14,000 for contingencies and riparian rights claims, . which it-swag considered would be sufficient. He acknowledged the' careful and . . salons way in which Messrs. Carlaw and Wilson had carried out their duties in conaction. with the work. (Applause.) In including, • he referred to the acquisition °t a magnificent reserve, in connection with , water supply, and said that all lovers ■ °^the beautiful must rejoice that, in se- -•,' wiring a pure and abundant supplv of loi the beautiful must rejoice that, in se'Wing a pure and abundant supply of water, they had also set aside so valuable a heritage for the future generations of .our citizens. (Applause.)

; '■ THE WATER TURNED OX. , ' .The .Mayor then proceeded lo the valver.; , '°«se ( ' and turned on the water from the ■ sZ Uppljr " His Worship also drank the ■■'■"' ". s glassful of the water, and this portion -■" 'th l «e proceedings was concluded amidst ie applause and cheers of all present. the company then, at the Mayor's in- - 'f t,o . n « adjourned to a marquee, where „ "•eshraents were provided. The toasts of trart Jin ?, Ineei «." "id " Success to the ConanTTV were Proposed by the Mayor, ■ nil y honoui ' In referring to'the - .' Com contract, .the Mayor said that the the Was m every way; satisfied with Co ay '," which the Mephan-Ferguson ;. , »any had carried out this portion of & ' beti-iirr ,' Mr ' ckleton responded on . Zfi of the company i - :.' ine toast of "The"Father of Auckland" «DoiwftV r ? posed b - y ' he Ma y° r > and r «" < A I\- hy J lV John Lo » Campbell. ■:, J* function then ended . with cheers for ■" inSi V ° r ;," d for , Sir joim ui,d Lady -, tho,F '• ft'™ leaving, a number of 1 *Deet;n"L took the opportunity of in--1 C g I , Ventl " ,i " meter in the valve- '; How kt™ * h I s P able of registering a 1 S a om 30 '° 00 t0 380 ' 000 °°* 1 '