SUBURBAN WATER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21968, 27 November 1934, Page 11

SUBURBAN WATER

DISTRICTS IN THE SOUTH A COMBINED SCHEME HUNUA GORGE SUPPLY The possibilities of the Papakura Town Board's water supply source in Hunua Gorge being developed under the direction of a water board, comprised of representatives of southern local bodies, to' meet the requirements of the several interested districts was discussed at Papakura yesterday. An inspection of the waterworks and plant was made by members of the Manu-

rewa Town Board, the local hoard members and representatives of the Papakura Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. H. E. McEntee, chairman of the Papakura board, in welcoming the visitors, said he hoped they would be impressed with the possibilities of a major scheme being adopted to develop the source of supply to meet the needs of local bodies as far north as Otahuhu. Now that the Auckland metropolitan scheme had fallen through it -was perhaps an opportune time for local bodies adjacent to Papakura to turn their attention to the natural supplj' in the Hunua Gorge. The potentialities of that source were very great, continued Mr. McEntee, and the Papakura Town Board did not desire to monopolise it when it was clearly recognised that it provided a supply far in excess of the district's requirements. It had been estimated that the small dam at the waterworks' head retained a supply sufficient for a population of 15,000.

There was a modern filtration plant | and the filters were capable of putting through 240,000 gallons an hour. In addition to filtering, the plant both chlorinated and dechlorinated the water. The watershed area upstream covered 10,000 acres, but the streams had their sources in natural springs. Even in the dry summer of 1928 there had been no great effect on the stream and at least half an inch of water had flowed over the 10ft. wide spillway at the dam right through the season. Members of the Manurewa Town Board stated that their district, which had no reticulated supply, was extremely interested in the possibilities of the scheme. Mr. E. S. Pegler hoped that all the local bodies between Papakura and Otahuhu, including the latter, would discuss the question of joining forces in a water supply. In the course of the inspection visitors expressed themselves favourably toward the scheme. It was pointed out that the present dam is only about 10ft. high and could be raised at comparatively little cost to store an enormous quantity of water. It was stated that the ravine through which the stream flows above the dam extended for some miles upstream and could easily be converted into a vast reservoir without raising any engineering difficulties. There was about 2in. of water flowing over the 12ft. spillway of the dam at the time of the visit. There were about 1,000,000 gallons stored above the dam.