BURST WATER MAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21328, 1 November 1932, Page 10

BURST WATER MAIN

HEAVY TRAFFIC BLAMED That the vibration caused by heavy I rnfiic is apt to fracture high pressure underground water mains is the opinion of the Onehuuga Borough Council's pumping engineer. Reporting to the council last evening that a water main had recently burst in Upper Queen Street, tlio engineer said that an investigation had disclosed a crack in one pipe, measuring live feet in length, which ho attributed to the vibration of traffic at a time when tlio main was under a heavy pressure of water, thus causing (he crack to extend and ultimately weakening the pipe to the extent that it failed to carry the pressure. The engineer also reported the satisfactory installation of an auxiliary pump at the new reservoir on One Treo Hill for (he Mount Roskill service supply. Tins would eliminate any danger of further breaks in the rising mains, as the pressure would be materially reduced. The chairman of the Waterworks Committee, Mr. S. Vella, reported that a satisfactory test had been made with all the pumps in action, when 66,000 gallons an hour had been pumped for four hours, with no appreciable fall in the wells.