DRAINAGE PLAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22240, 15 October 1935, Page 11

DRAINAGE PLAN

METROPOLITAN AREA EXPERT INVESTIGATION »TWO ENGINEERS CHOSEN EARLY COMMENCEMENT Two independent experts, Mr. E. F. JBorrie, drainage engineer to tho Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, and Mr. G. A. Hart, city engineer of Wellington, were appointed tho Auckland and Suburban DrainBoard, at, a special meeting last ju'ght, to make a comprehensive investigation of the present proposals for a complete metropolitan drainage scheme for Auckland, and to advise what gcheme they, consider would bo most juitabio for tho district. They will commence their investigations on JJovember 16. In addition to members of tho board, there were present at tho meeting Dr. T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health for tho Auckland central district; Mr. D. Holderness, engineer to the Auckland .(Harbour Board; and representatives of tho Devouport, Northcote and Birkenhead Borough Councils, the Ellerslie and fcapatoetoe Town Boards, and the Mount Itoskill and Mount Wellington Koad Boards. Apologies vere received from the Onehunga and New Lynn Borough Councils.

A special sub-committee, including representatives of outside bodies, which had been set up to consider the proposed appointment of technical experts, recommended that Messrs. Borrie and Hart be appointed at a fee of 250 guineas each, plus travelling and .hotel expenses. It stated that it had slso made inquiries with a view to obtaining the services of Mr. J. N. 0. MoTaggart, drainage engineer to the Sydney Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board, but had found he would not be available until the end of November. 3'he sub-committee's correspondence with Mr Hart showed that before taking up his present position nine years ago he was for 21 years sewerage engineer to the City of Leeds and during that time reconstructed the city's ifoara drainage and selvage purification systems. Previously he was chief assistant engineer to the Birmingham District Drainage Board, and earlier still was engaged upon drainage schemes at Salford and West Hartlepool.

Brown's Island Outlall '' m Together with the sub-committee's Teconimendation regarding the appointments, the board adopted a proposed order ot reference. This provides that jfte two engineers shall examine the topography of the metropolitan district, and the existing sewerage sjtsiems and outfalls, examine the scheme proposed by the board's engineer, Mr. H. H. Watkins, and confer with the engineers of the Auckland Harbour Board and the local authorities concerned, and with the medical officer of lealth, Dr. Hughes. The engineers are also to advise the board whether it would be practicable to establish at Orakei treatment works vhich would make the present discharge •afe and unobjectionable, and whether there was near Auckland a site suitable for a sewage farm. They are to advise (1) as to the extension of the boundaries of the present drainage district- (2) as to the advisability of the proposed outfall at Brown's Island and whether the proposed treatment there frould make the effluent safe and unobjectionable; (3) whether sewage from Westfield and the southern part of the isthmus should be discharged at Brown's "land or by a separate outfall in the Manukau Harbour; and (4) whether the Kwage from the whole isthmus should 00 discharged on the West Coast. Sub-committee Set Up

The basic requirement is that tho engineers should advise the board generally as to the scheme of drainage which, ® their opinion, .would be most suitable fa the district, having due regard to the existing sewerage systems, tho outstanding capital liability in respect thereof, and the ability of the ratePtyors to meet the additional cost of * Comprehensive scheme for the whole "Mtropolitan district. "ley are also to report upon the and maintenance costs of such and their apportionment, the Wjsis of representation upon the pro£>"001 metropolitan drainago board, with the North Shore boroughs, D a to indicate the legislative and other fpW necessary and preliminary to set""j? Up the now authority, ri i 'ukcommitteo, consisting of tho 5, '"nan of tho board, Mr. Ernest and Messrs. N. E. Ferner, T. sc«#b,5 c «#b, I, J. Goldstino, B. Martin, A. E. J. Phelan and J. L. Coakloy Mt up to confer with tho two ox•Jjfa and the board's engineer and rotary as ruight be necessary in tho °Hrs© of the investigation. North Shore Conference

/."reply to questions, the chairman ul the inquiry would include the North ,"°re as well as the southern area of uj® Proposed metropolitan drainage disJ Ol - The cost of the investigation would i °°rno by tlie Drainago Board. He ' that the outside bodies would P'e the ngineers every assistance in fllfflr' power. „ n f letter, the Takapuna Borough i w B t a tod that it objected to tho W'oposed North Shore scheme, which iTwi renc l°r useless the borough's own "P; o-date scheme. « %H. L<\ W. Aleiklo, Mayor • of ® v onport, said tho four North Shore fWors would shortly meet to discuss position. All the boroughs wero to lessen poliiitioti of tho harWaters and to protect their bath*B beaches. ?aiK .

H ® r «»t Peppermint Cur* B lafluenxa Colde.