NORTH SHORE WATER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18578, 10 December 1923, Page 11

NORTH SHORE WATER.

' LOWER WAIRA'U BUPPLY; CONSENT: OF THE MINISTER. EMERGENCY MEASURE ONLY * The consent of the -Minister \ for- Public Health, Sir ] Maui Pomare, wa3 obtained by the Lake Takapuna Board of Control on Saturday ;to the prosecution of 5 the Lower Wairau scheme for the augmentation of the water supply for the North Shore boroughs. The scheme is to be regarded as ;an emergency, measure only. The deputation, comprising representatives of the four 5 North Shore boroughs, was introduced by Mr. H. J. Lowe, ( commissioner of lands for : North Auckland, and chairman of the Lake Takapuna Board of Control. .- ,-' - -■".. Mr. A. M. Gould, Mayor of Takapuna, on behalf of the board, asked for 'the Minister's 'j support ■. of the proposed I Bill, which it is hoped to 'pass through Parliament next session, to enable the board to augment the supply from Lake Pupuke by drawing upon outside : sources. Mr. Gould regretted that, the board was not unanimous upon the question of representation and the basis on which water was to be charged to the various boroughs. In his opinion, interest on the capital outlay should be recovered from the sales per quarter, in which case-water would be sold at uniform rates. If interest ■ were recovered from the rates on land, Takapuna would be paying 2$ times as much per 1000 gallons as Devonport.. He suggested that Parliament should decide the matter, for it was absurd that North Shore should suffer because the various boroughs could not see eye to eye. , • Immediate Action Necessary. .. The population of the boroughs was increasing rapidly and the drainage schemes either in operation or contemplation rendered the immediate augmentation of' the supply absolutely essential. To wait seven years until work was completed on an alternative Upper Wairua scheme would be dangerous. Moreover, the cost was heavy, being estimated at £30,000, i with an additional £50,000 for the purchase of land. The Lower Wairau scheme was the only practicable proposal, and the deputation asked the Minister whether his department wouloT iay definitely and finally that it would sanction the scheme as a temporary means of augmentation, subject to necessary safeguards. The board was not prepared \to shoulder the responsibility of resorting to the Lower Wairau unless the department agreed to allow it, though perhaps not approving it! : ; Sir Maui Pomare: In other words, \ you want us to take part of the responsibility? ■ '... • ,':,,.; « >*< ' Mr. Gould: Yes. We are net prepared to shoulder the responsibility without the consent of the department. Question of Representation. Mr. A. V. Fraer, on behalf of ' the Devonport Borough Council, said his council strongly objected to the clauses in the draft Bill providing for alternative methods of representation on the ','- reconstituted board. These provided for either' - one member per every 7000 of the population, or one member per £2,000,000 ;: capital value. As Devonport contained half -the population of the four boroughs combined,; , and as its capital value was £1,877,000,, compared with ;'; £2,676,000 for the -.* three other boroughs combined, Devonport would be in an unfavourable position as regards , representation. On a consumption oasis : Devonport would have to pay £14,000 as its share of the scheme. If this matter were not settled it would mean 'thai Devonport, which already had its own drainage and sewerage schemes, and ' was saying least, would have to pay. most. He asked for larger representation by . making the basis one member per 3000 of I the population. v .•■'/^■,■'■';.■/ ".<-.'/'l- :^-':' •■' Mr. Gould: Under the present scheme, Devonport # will have two members, whereas the other councils will have only one each. Other speakers were Mr. E. C. Walton, Mayor of Birkenhead, and Mr. W. E. # Richardson, Mayor kof Ndrthcote. 1 .•:.'■:.-; Health Officer's Opinion. Dr. T. J. Hughes,': medical v, office* •of health, • detailed his reasons for withholding unqualified approval of f the . scheme. He said he found' the waters of the Lower Wairau y. discoloured [>■ with suspended % matter and i for that reason • suggested ■ the use of „ mechanical filters. ' Provided all suspended matter' were thus removed before passing into the lake, and all water was afterwards chlorinated :"; before going through the pumps, he would consider sufficient steps had : been ',;' taken to ensure its purity. He knew that the proposal had been advanced that. ; suspended ;:, matter would be deposited naturally if the Wairau water wore allowed to ;' remain ;in the lake for a specified time, ? but he doubted if this would prevent some of "the ! suspended matter being drawn into the -pipes, f: Finally, he stressed the importance of employing a bacteriologist to watch the scheme .;,..«■. operation, t 1 ■ .'■./"■•>", "'"'-* sh Mr. ,F. 8.. Powell, the board's engineer, said the scheme proposed involved the con* struction of a tunnel and regulating gates to convey the 1 water flow from \ th» Lower Wairau into the lake. , The gates s would enable the height of water in the lake to be regulated '•■■ when -': necessary. vJ^ Before reaching the ■> lake, the water would be thoroughly chlorinated, ; ; and v would then pass into two reservoirs, i the water in one being allowed :to ' remain iat rests for an hour, while ; the other one- was filling. This was for the * purpose of allowing ; the) sediment to fall to the bottom. The con* tents of the first reservoir would then vbe emptied into the 'i lake. Here the water would ,; have further opportunity to' rest and deposit its.sediment. ' Before passing through the pumps it would again be sterilised v with chlorate of i lime, and % when; delivered ;to the ; consumers it -; would, •; in, his opinion, bo. as safe as. any 7 water in New r Zealand, without incurring | the expense ' and ".. delay ; of 5 using mechanical I filters. ■ - The Minister and Responsibility. ,h . ' Sir c ; Maui said : ~ he would ; sanction '"",; the scheme as han emergency 'i. measure only. The-board would have to take steps;: to push on with its main scheme, augmenting I the supply as soon as possible.. There was no doubt •. the v. board was "up against it," and ' would have ■ to ! make use *; in I the meantime *of whatever was ;' offering. The best was not very 'good,, on the Award's own - showing. ' - "You : will , at least have me as '.'»' a ;,. scapegoat if +. anything ,'; happens over there,'': added Sir Maui, with a smile. "You will be able to say!,qmte truthfully that the Minister: approved the scheme and must take the -blame." • r <: \> •■■:'"' k The ! Minister- said he was satisfied that if the i. water were > chlorinated .first for certain times and again chlorinated before bengi delivered to consumers, the danger would ; be : minimised as far ;as v human agency .could devise. "If anything happens after that," cautioned Sir Maui, "you can say it is the vagaries of Providence and not the Minister for Public Health(Laughtw). ?'■',: s . . ' ".,,.-' ~"1,~ . Sir Maui, concluding, said be treated the request that he approve the draft Bill: with every sympathy and co-operation and would do his best to have it put on the i Statute Book. ...