THE WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 7

THE WATER SUPPLY.

NEED FOR ECONOMY. COUNCIL DISCUSSION. THE XmOTDPU SCHEME. 'A DISH'SM'~'N -■■ .-a-dim; Auckland's water supplies r:'.o ''• p'ei.ij-hiug schemes took place a' '■-; ■'■ ■-:.!:.4's meeting of the City Con:; :' The «;>' ""' :ks engineer reported an offer «!'!:■' ' I'.'.'.; i>r £125.000 as a likely ?■■■■'■' ■'" > :j.p-v of watoi for the cl 't\. lie ■•;!-•: '."',.; he was obtaining a raujir.g ; ' "■' '■■'"! •; the streams, and from li - '<■•'■ mi''..:•' ■■: the locality the] seller"' '■' ■■■ '■■■' i \c!v expensive under i taking ■ i i-' ' ■"■ the price placed on i the i.ii'-! ' ! '' >>u;d in t recommend the | council :■• • i-:«!• r the scheme. The j gerund i ''■ '■ ! "' the W.utakere-Xihotupu and Hu-'.i - :.!,-■ was in progress. The! third |'nTti■::. ''.•(' lima, was for running water '! ! ' ■".-'. as ihe yield during the dry sea- •:: K'.-i p. vol 100 per cent, ! great in.. •!,.>! • ■:' \: ; tupu. When the j coii.-umpt: . i spjied the yield of present supi'.. . "■' . tiiiiicil should consider the I'li'-t : obtaining a permanent supply '': ..! th" W.ukutu River, which yields S.O ■■ "-'._■ lis per minute. Every effort. >!:■ :i!d be made l-o push on the Xihotnp.. dam, and on its completion the Huia s'e old be commenced. A rough estimate showed that three million gallons per da' "tild be obtained fro;., the Huia at a r«*t f urdei 00.000, while he had estimated ; .pes and mai hir.ery for a sup ply from the Waikato River of 10 million gallons per day at a . -st cf £970.000. ex- { elusive ■ ' i ''■'■ - i' filters and balance j reservoir. This scheme was capable of tinlimited extension b\ adding another pipe line and extra macb.ir.ery, without adding to the mam w rks. The Water Committee recommended that the city engineer be instructed to push on at once with the preparation of the plans and specifications for the Xihotupu reservoir, so that no time be lost in construction. The committee also recommended the council to at once take steps to bring the Huia stream into the waterworks scheme, and recommended that a bacteriological analysis of the water in the Waikato River from the various points be made in view of the probability of a supply from this source being required for the city in the future.. Proposals Premature. The Mayor, Mr. C. J. Parr, said the Nibotupu scheme should be completed in three vears, if undertaken energetically, Then the Huia scheme must be commenced. The Waikato proposal was looking to the extreme future, and there was no present necessity for the bacteriological examination of the water. Auckland's water supplies were settled for 40 years. In reply to the Mayor, and in reference to a remark by Mr. R. Tudehope, the engineer said the Nihotupu dam should be completed in three years. "There is every reason for care, but no reason for undue anxiety," declared tue Mayor, in reference to the water supply. For the next 50 or 60 days- they could go on as at present, but after that, should no rain fall, they would have to do some thinking. Even then they had 3J million gallons a day, apart from Waitakere. The people should realise tha* they had had an unprecedented drought for 7$ months, and waste should be stopped. Unfortunately, there had been wholesale waste, as disclosed by the reports of the officials. The gardens, of coarse, had to go first. Waste by Boroughs. j Mr. P. J. Nerheny pointed out that Aucklanders could not use garden hoses, but the residents of the boroughs the city supplied could do soThe Mayor said the council had asked the suburban boroughs to carry out the regulation. "They are not doing so," rejoined .r. Jterfleny. "We have further means to apply," responded the Mayor. The instruction to the engineer to push on with the Nihotupu scheme was agreed to, the other recommendations being withdrawn. Large Consumption. The waterworks engineer reported that owing to the dry weather the yield of both the Waitaxere and Nihotupn Streams was considerably reduced and that he was drawing from' the Waitakere dam 3,000,000 gallons dailv. While there was still 180.000,000 gallons in reserve, he was afraid to continue the present consumption, as the dry weather might last three or four months, and once the storage was deleted the yield of the streams would only represent about half the present consumption. Evaporation was considerably increased, and the consumption for bathing and gardens was also increased. Inspectors were being sent out to watch or anyone abusing their hose license. The report was adopted.