WATER FROM WAIKATO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20607, 4 July 1930, Page 16

WATER FROM WAIKATO.

BOARD SCHEME REVIVED. BILL FOR PARLIAMENT. DECISION OF LOCAL BODIES. A conference of local bodies decided last evening to take tlio necessary steps to have the Auckland Provincial Water Board Bill introduced in Parliament, during tlio present session. Owing to the City Council's opposition tlio bill was withdrawn in 1927 and it met a similar fate Inst year because the requisite notice under Standing Orders had not been given. There was no active opposition to the proposal, but the Onehunga representatives refrained from voting, stating that they had no authority from the Borough Council to support the scheme. Onehunga, they claimed, already enjoyed a very cheap water supply. A suggestion was made that the revenue from the City Council's water supply in the Waitakere Ranges and the revenue from the Waikato project might ho pooled. "The outstanding advantages of the scheme present an immediate solution of tho water problem for all time," said Mr. E. H. Potter, Mayor of Mount Eden, who presided. ."The Water Board will he in a position to assist those districts which already have their own schemes with a whole or part supply without involving the local authorities in additional capital expenditure. Artificial ponds or dams cannot take the place of a river or a great inland lake." Scheme to Cost £700,000. The first instalment of the Waikato scheme would be 15,000,000 gnllons a day, «aid Mr. Potter. The supply would bo delivered over an area extending from Mercer to the northern boroughs and could be supplemented at any time. The cost would not exceed £700,000, a firm price having already been received for the pipe-line, delivered on the ground. The consumption of 3,000,000 gallons a day at Is per 1000 gallons would provide sufficient revenue to meet all expenses and as consumption increased the cost to the consumer would be reduced. That would result because the supply was unlimited and the construction of dams would bo unnecessary.

"A remarkable feature is the source of supply," said Mr. Potter. "That will he the 'great natural reservoir, Lake Taupo, surrounded by a catchment area of 1000 square miles,..which extends to Arapuni, with its great dam, providing for all time an additional lake and a permanent supply. The streams from Manga--1 tangi and Mangatawhiri flow into tho ; Waikato River. This great body of water is a safe supply, with the additional protection of a filtration and chlorination plant from which pure water would be delivered to the population in the greater *rea."

Mr. Potter said he was informed that the Waitakere scheme had cost £1,500,000, including expenditure on the main pipe lines and dams. It would not be economic to allow further exploitation in the ranges, but a water board would provide a, solution, in as much as tho cost of its tcheme would not exceed £700,000. A Pooling Proposal. Mr. Totter said the total cost of the Waikato and . Waitakere schemes combined would be £2,200.000. Interest and sinking fund, at 7 per cent., on the Waitakere scheme absorbed £105,000 a year and similar charges for the Waikato scheme would absorb £52,000. rogethei, the two schemes would entail annual charges of £157,000. The revenue produced from 12,000,000 gallons at 9d would be £164,250, or from 14,000,000 galJons at Bd, £170,300. If thought deuirablo, the pooling of the revenue of both schemes would pay the interest and sinking fund charges on the capital and would allow the water to bo sold to tho local bodies at the prices mentioned. The revenue from the Waikato scheme

eould be estimated as f0110w53,000,000 3 gallons at Is per 1000 gallons, £54,750; 4,000,000 gallons at lOd, £60,833; 5,000,000 gallons at 9d, £68,'437; 6,000,000 gallons at 7d, £63,875. When 12,000,000 gallons were being consumed the price would bo reduced to or sd. In answer to a question, Mr. Potter raid the expenditure on the scheme would be secured by a rate, to bo struck over the whole of the proposed board s area. It should bo remembered, however, that such ratep were never collected. Position of Qnehunga.

Mr. F. W. Mountjoy, of Onehunga, said >iis council had not expressed an opinion on tho question of joining the proposed board. Personally, he believed the water board would come, but the question was Whether the time was opportune. Onehunga enjoyed a good water supply. Mr. Potter said, he was convinced it would be in the interests of the local Authorities to join the board. There was no reason why each district should not continue to draw upon its own local supply to start with, supplementing its supply from the board and eventually becoming dependent, upon it. "f cannot see how any local body will be able to supply water at the low cost the board will be able to charge," he added. Early Start Urged. Mr. L. E. Rhodes, Mayor of Mount Albert, said it was no use waiting until another water famine arose before taking action. The scheme would probably i.ake two years complete and a start should be ma.de before Lhe next water shortage occurred. If the City Council declined to corne into- the ' scheme at present there were sufficient other areas willing to join to justify them going abend. Mr. A. A. Buckley, of Mount Albeit, suggested the Waikato should be tapped at Cambridge, as water could then be sold to such towns as Hamilton, Morrinsvillo and To AwamutuMr. Potter replied that a start at Merrer would most likely bo best. It would then bo for the board to go further south, say, to Cambridge or Arapuni, if it desired. It would undoubtedly be an immense boon to the fanning community. ' , A committee, consisting of Messrs.

jPotter, Rhodes, S. Donaldson, C. K. Gardner and J. M. Melville, was set up to further the interests of I lit: project.