WATER FOR AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18130, 30 June 1922, Page 8

WATER FOR AUCKLAND.

SAFEGUARDS OF PURITY.

'DECISION TO CHLORINATE.

VIEWS OF BE. GILMOUR.

A review of the events leading up to the instruction given to the city waterworks engineer to install a chlorinating plant at Titirangi forthwith, and to operate it until the Nihotupis dam works are complete, was given in the report, of the sitting of the council in committee on June 20, presented to the City Council last evening. On April 26 the medical officer of health submitted a copy of a bacteriological report on a sample of Nihotupu water taken at Titirangi on April 21, and commented on the possible result of men working in the area and the need for care in this connection. The city engineer said the rainfall on April 18 and 19 was 1.65 in. Every precaution was still being taken with regard to the men and the conduct of the job at Nihotupu. The passing of the West Coast Road through the gathering area could not be avoided. Neither the waterworks engineer nor himself felt that the risk was a senous one, and the general disadvantage of the road was likely to be found in ti* occasional discoloration of the water due to the clay on the sides of the road washing into the stream. Temporary Conditions. On Mav.lß and 25 the acting-medical officer of" health submitted a copy of bacteriological reports of a sample of water taken from the Nihotupu dam on May 12. He suggested that consideration should be given to the chlorination of the supply while, workmen were employed in the collecting area. The waterworks engineer reported on May 20 that all possible, precautions were being taken at the quarry and dam site. Be also submitted analyses of water taken by Dr. W. Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, on May_ 23 and June 5. On June 5 the medical officer of health submitted a Government bacteriological report. The report of the council in committee stated that Dr. Gilmour, in- an address to the meeting, said the Waitakere water eupply was entirely satisfactory and that the supply from Nihotupu would be equally so when the work of the construction of the dam was completed. In the meantime and as long as the workmen were employed on the watershed there must of necessity, be a certain element of danger, however small, and in order to remove all possibility of impure water reaching consumers he recommended that a chlorinating plant should be established at Nihotupu break-pressure reservoir, and the Nihotupu water treated during the period of construction of the dam. In this connection there would be no necessity for dechlorination, as the length of pipe-line ihe water required to travel before being utilised dispensed with any, such necessity. Reason for Discoloration. , Discoloration of tho water during wet weather periods did not constitute a source of danger to the public health. City water with which he had been experimenting had been allowed to stand for a week and showed no deposit or solids in suspension. w as n ot required to remove opalescence, and the rejection taken to tho discoloration and unsatisfactory nature of' the city water bv certain local authorities could, he thought, only to b« attributed to the neglect to flush the "dead ends" of water roains in certain streets of their districts.

The Mount Eden Borough Council wrote on June 7 asking ii' the council would supply & copy of the latest analysis of water and of such analyses as wore submitted frc:ti time to time. The council in committee decided to reply that the reports on the water question were departmental ones, and were, for the coun- | col's own purposes only. The report of the council in committe* ■wis adopted. STTPPX.Y FOS TULOJJWr JL&BEBT. QUESTION OF CONNECTION. The Mount Albert water supply formed the subject of a letter from the Borough Council received by the Auckland City Council last evening. The Borough Council asked what decision had been come to regarding: (1) Providing a direct connection to the boundary of the borough 1 (2) ensuring an adequate pressure throughout the whole of the Mount. Albert system; and (3) providing for the filling of the Mount Albert reservoirs. The letter was referred to the Parks Committee, the waterworks engineer to report.

NORTH SHOES BEQUIBEKENTS. INQUIRY AS TO COST. The question of supplying the North Shore Boroughs with water from the city was dealt with at a recent meeting of the City Council in committee. The Lake Takapuna Board of Control 'wrote asking whether the City Council could definitely undertake to supply the requirements of the North Shore Boroughs, and if so, when would the snpply be available and what was tho estimated cost at the point from which delivery would be taken from the council, the question Df the conveyance of tho water across the harbour being a matter for separate consideration. The waterworks engineer reported that the supply could be given at once. The question of cost was one that might affect the boroughs and out-districts, which had been for many years and were now connected with the city mains. In justice to those districts which had laid mains at their own cost direct from the service reservoir and were now paying Is per 1000 gallons, the charge to the northern boroughs could not be less than Is if delivery were taken at Khyber Pass reservoir. For various reasons it would be preferable to connect to the Waitakere main at the break-pressure tank, the water being of exceptional purity. Even if the council eventually went further afield for supply, this connection would remain the same, and there would not be the same risk of interruption in the supply. Water could be supplied at that point at 6d per 1000 gallons. It was resolved to reply to the Board of Control that the council could supply the requirements of the northern borouehs, the supply being available forthwith, and the price would be 6d per 1000 gallons, delivery at Waitakere breakpressure reservoir.