STORMWATER DRAINAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20991, 30 September 1931, Page 8

STORMWATER DRAINAGE.

A report from the city engineer containing a scheme for dealing with the drainage of stormwater from the Queen Street area, and recommending urgent action is heartily welcome. If adopted, as it should be, it promises to dispose of a problem that might, with advantage, have been attacked long ago. The conditions Mr. Tyler describes have been realised in a general way for a long time. Queen Street and its adjacent area, covered with important commercial buildings, are at the concentration point of drainage from a natural watershed with three slopes converging on them. The fact, occasionally recalled by old residents, that Queen Street was once the bed of a creek, shows the provision nature made for the drainage of this country. The natural channels for the escape of stormwater have long been obliterated. The artificial substitutes provided periodically prove inadequate. Violent rainstorms, especially summer storms, load the channels of escape beyond their capacity. The result," especially when a high tide reduces the rate of outfall, is an of the water, with consequent flooding of cellars and basements. The damage done to perishable goods has been serious on more than one past occasion. The last reported instance of such flooding was early this year, when it was remarked that little loss was caused, because occupiers of buildings exposed to overflows had given up storing goods where water could damage them. In other words, they were being prevented from making full use of their premises. Mr. Tyler recommends the installation of relief drains, the whole schedule of works being estimated to cost some £44,350. An instalment to cost £31,038 is marked as being specially urgent. It is true present conditions demand caution before new expenditure's authorised : but/ all expenditure cannot cease, and few if any more essential objectives could be found at present than this improvement of the stormwater drainage. To have the work done would provide employment for a number of hands for a thoroughly practical purpose. The engineer's plan can therefore be commended unreservedly as deserving immediate action.