THAMES WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19721, 22 August 1927, Page 10

THAMES WATER SUPPLY.

ENSURING THE SERVICE. PROPOSED PUMPING SCHEME. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT. I THAMES. Sunday For nearly fifty years Thames has drawn its water supply from a source in the Kauaeranga Hills, over a 10-miles circuit, including five miles of open race, two miles of tunnelling and three miles of fluming, supported on high trestles. \\ hen the supply came under the control of the Thames Borough Council, a loan of £20,000 was raised for maintenance purposes, of which approximately £4OOO was paid to the Thames County Council. As the trestling supporting the flumed portion ranges from 50ft. to 70ft. in height,, maintenance and renewals, particularly at storm periods, have proved a costly item, and the loan fund now only amounts to about £4OOO. To meet this circumstance the waterworks committee of the Thames Borough Council has prepared a pumping scheme, calculated, at a cost of £2OOO, to ensure an adequate service for the next 30 years, and at the same time enable the abandon ment of three miles of the costliest portion of the present water race. The com mittee recommends the installation of tuo electrically-driven pumps near the County Council's quarry, on tho Kaua.erar.gE, Valley Road. When the proposals were presented to to the Borough Council, Messrs. Bush and Donovan said they hopeu the scheme would not unduly curtail privileges accorded the mining companies. On tho motion <sf tho Mayor, Mr. W. Bongard, it was resolved to defer consideration of the proposals until next meet ing, the Mines Department to 'be consulted in the meantime.