NORTH SHORE WATER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18387, 1 May 1923, Page 8

NORTH SHORE WATER.

* > Jy.'..'-.;---. ;■ .• 'rn mmm >-m ■ ■<%»■■■■■ ■ ■« NEED F.OFI A NEW SUPPLY, WARNING BY THE MINISTER. PROMPT ACTION ADVISED. The water supply ; for the North Shore boroughs* was the subject of a' conference between the Minister for Health, the Hon. 0. J. Parr, and the Lake Takapuna Board ;of • Control yesterday; - Those present were the chairman •of the board, Mr. R. P. Greville, commissioner of Crown lands, North Auckland;-the Mayor of Takapuna, Mr. A. M. Gould; the Mayor of Devonport, Mr: T. Lament; and the Mayor of Northcote, Mr. W. E. Richardson. ' ; ' The Minister said he was not impressed with ; the amount of work that had been .done to solve, the problem since, a conference on the question, V just a year ago, • with '. representatives of the districts concerned. He had called this : conference because the ' Lake Takapuna water was in a very unsatisfactory state, considering the rapid increase in the population. The present position was that chlorinating plants, as suggested by the Health Department, had been put in, and for the time .beings Dr. Boyd reported that they were satisfactory. With all chlorinating plants the human factor made for the success or failure of the : scheme. If there was the slightest , neglect, the chlorination of the water did not proceed as it should, and the water was rendered dangerous for i human consumption. Mr. Parr called attention .'.to the .fact that a few months after the last,, conference he. expected. „,a report on the whole question by an engineer of repute, 1 but although a report'was. promised he had not received it yet. He wished .to know when he would receive a report from Mr. Powell, engineer to the Control Board. ;... defence of the Board,. . There had been no delay on the part of the board since the last conference, said Mr. Gould. The board had first of all investigated the; practicability of obtaining a supply from the city, but found it would not be ' sufficient : to meet the requirements of the marine, boroughs, and: the proposal was ruled. : out. - Then Mr. Powell was engaged to investigate certain schemes, and last week was confident he would shortly be. in a position to bring down a scheme that would prove entirely satisfactory; and would give, ample water for present and future requirements. The scheme might take : about' five years' to complete/ but in the meantime some temporary scheme: for using ' the >. lake with an augmented supply was contemplated.; " The Minister , said it wast eminently, unsatisfactory to have to depend on the lake for ; five years. Mr. - Gould agreed that it . was very detrimental, but he could not see any solution of the difficulty. '; Issue ' Between; Local Bodies^ Referring to the legislative details concerning, % the scheme,' Mr. •. Gould said that when it was referred back to the board by the Prim Minister it turned out; that ; the boroughs were in hopeless disagreement. The point at issue was as to how interest' on ' capital expenditure should be raised, whether by tax on the land or by. price for the water. . Every question was settled except that. one. . i ; Mr. : Greviile said ; the board could not advance by \ leaps and bounds, but' mi inspection of all possible sources of supply had . been made . and much spade work done. The board had worked strenuously to obtain a solution of the problem, and it was only three months ago that it had its first serious . warning regarding , the lake. The . analysis showed that !« was within the line of safety, but then, all at. once, the bottom seemed to fall out of the supply and it became very necessary that , some temporary expedient should be utilised. • The board was doing" everything possible. ' Danger In Procrastination. -In reply, the Minister said he had warned the board that-there would be trouble. The water supply had reached the safety point and there was no, doubt in his mind that, without some method of purification, " they ' would have disaster - on the, North Shore. f He. urged, them not :to consider the matter could be safely left to chlorination.- There was a truism that their first function was the health of the community— preservation of public heal and if they failed 'in that their boroughs would suffer severely. His opinion was that the ratepayers would be behind them' in a scheme to get. a pure water supply that would be beyond question-.- for 40 or 50 ' years. Tile Minister concluded that his officers would go into tho question of a pure supply of water. He would much rather they were findingj another supply than , the lake for the next! ! five' years, as that was taking a great l risk, but he could not suggest an alternative., He would .< be i pleased -to see Mr. Powell's report on the larger scheme. He advised the board not to delay in securing •the necessary legislative authority for the scheme. He was anxious to assist the; board. . . v-