NEW RESERVOIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22878, 5 November 1937, Page 9

NEW RESERVOIR

SITE AT NEWTON USE FOR OLD PROPERTY ROOM FOR WORKSHOPS New workshops are • shortly to 1)9 ercctccl for the city waterworks department on the site of the old reservoir at the corner of Karangahape Road and Ponsonby Road, and a start has been niado cutting through the high embankment on the Hopetoun Street frontage to enable materials to be carted to the site. The large block of land bounded by Karangahape and Ponsonby Roads and Hopetoun and Hereford Streets is a city endowment, and contains a large reservoir parallel to Ponsonby Road, the remains of another reservoir at the back of the property, and the present workshops with the valve attendant's residence on the Karangahape Road side. The reservoir, which has a capacity, of 2,800,000 gallons, lias been giving trouble on account of its age, and cannot be filled to the top. It is proposed to replace it with a new reservoir, capable of holding 3,000,000 gallons of water, on a now site nearer Hereford Street, while the new and larger workshops arc to be placed on. the concrete iloor of the old reservoir, which was abandoned some years ago. This will clear all the land on the Karangahape Road frontage and the greater part of the Ponsonby Road frontage, making a number of valuable business sites available for leasing. On the tentative plans so far approved by the council, a corner block measuring 220 ft. by 110 ft., with frontages to Hopetoun and Hereford Streets, has been reserved as a possiblo future site for a swimming bath.

Eventually the whole of the high ; embankments practically surrounding i the block, and providing support for the walls of the old style reservoirs, will be razed, and the material is to be used in fillings in connection with the extension of Nelson Street. The new workshops will consist of a large onestorev building in reinforced concrete < and will contain a machine shop, smithy, meter testing and repair shop, offices and store, as well as a i social room for the staff . Adjoining .will be a large garage to house the depart- - mont's trucks and service vehicles. The design for the new reservoir provides, for two sections, each with a capacity of 1.500.000 gallons. It will bo necessary to build one section first and put this into commission, as it will be ~ impossible to excavate the whole sito without endangering the stability of the present reservoir. *