COPPER WATER PIPES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21295, 23 September 1932, Page 5

COPPER WATER PIPES

USE TO BE PERMITTED ! » CITY COUNCIL APPROVES • The "so of copper pipe for water service connections, instead of galvanised iron, as now specified, is to be permitted by the Auckland City Council a3 soon as the necessary amendment to tho by-laws has been made. In a report to the council last evening the waterworks engineer, Mr. A. D. Mead, stated that galvanised wrought-iron pipe suffered fairly rapid internal corrosion, causing gradual blockage of the supply. In Auckland the average life of a service pipe was about 15 years. In certain localities of the city the pipes suffered rapid external corrosion, apparently due to some chemically active substance in the soil. Copper was almost immune from these defects, and in light gauge with compression joints was not much more expensive than iron. Owing to the absence of blockage, moreover, a gin. copper pipe would suffice instead of a fin. iron pipe, the smallest size now fitted. Relative costs for a 12ft. service! were:—Jin. iron, £1 12s; copper, £1 15s 9d; |in. copper, £1 19s 9d. Against tho higher price, the probable life of a copper pipe was 30 years. Mr. Mead pointed out certain disadvantages of coppe<r, namely, in regard _ to patent joints and less strength in the pipe. He was unable to recommend that it be adopted as standard under present financial conditions, but proposed that in th® interim copper be permitted to be used by tho consumer, that where it was so nsed the council lay copper to the boundary, and that it be used in areas of corrosion^ On the recommendation of the Public Services Committee the proposals were approved.