CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10522, 25 February 1920, Page 9

CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

AT WAINUI-O-MATA COMPREHENSIVE SCUBA IE : CITY COUNCILLORS’ INSPECTION. The members of the Wellington City Council paid a visit of inspection_ to the municipal waterworks at AVamui-o-mata yesterday. The run was made by motor-cars, about a dozen leaving the Town Hall at 10 o’clock, with councillors and their wives. The iollowing wore present:—Couiicilloia George Frost (Aoting-Alnyor), AV. HBennett, J. AI. Dale, T. Forsyth. P. Fraser, L. Glover, Len. McKenzie, J. 0. Sliorland, AV. J. Thompson, Superintendent H. Tait, of the £ity X>m> Brigade, the town clerk, Air I. B. Palmer, deputy-town clerk, Air It. Tint, city engineer, Air Alorton, assistant engineer, Air A. J. Paterson, M. J. McKenzie, director of reserves, and Atesdames J. P. Luke (Mayoress), Atkinson, Chapman, Dole, Forsyth, Fraser, Frost, Glovbr, McKenzie, Shorland, Thompson, Palmer, H. and R. Tait, Alorton, Baillic, AlcKenzie, and the Alisses Thompson, Turner and Emery. . .. AVainui was reached just before midday, and at one o’clock the party sat down to luncheon, which was provided in a largo marquee on the lawn alongside tho lake. Atmospheric conditions Wore not °f the brightest during the morning, but in the afternoon tho sun penetrated through the heavy tank of clouds, and from this on, until the party left for the city at 4.30 p.m., the weather was ideal. SOURCE OF THE SUPPLY. The little stream trickling down themountain slopes to the dam AVainui is the source of Wellington s i' -0 - ter supply The chief object of yester cl ayL visit was to allow the councillors to consult on 'the spot with the city engineers, with regard to the water supply for AA r ellington for the next twenty to twenty-five years. Taking Air Morton’s latest report into consideration, it was most interesting to know what the nest quarter of a century is expected to produce. It has yet to be ascertained whether the other local bodies will require to draw from the city’s supply, or whether the citv will simply have to put down its scheme for its own requirements. That, however, cannot be ascertained until a conference is held, and one is to eventuate at the earliest possible moment. The official visitors yesterday, therefore, had 'to consider two points, firstly whether the hill should be pierced through to Orongorongo, or whother a now dam should he erected that would bo capable of holding 900,000,000 gallons, which is equal to , three months’ supply'., A track had been out up through the bush, from the dam head, as far as the mouth of the tunnel, the object being oto enable a full inspection of tho whole situation to be carried out. At tho present moment the engineers favour tho piercing of a tunnel 7 fee* wide through to tho Orongorongo river, to carry the water through to replenish the Karori reservoir with a constant supply, day and night. The Orongorongo stream being 400 feet above the AVainui stream, this would give the better and more constant flow than the present main. Thus Karori, instead of being d tbservo supply, would be used as a governor, while being situated on a much lower altitude, ib would nermifc the suburbs on the higher levels to receive higher pressure and an abundance or water. Such a scheme would also allow the engineers time to develop other resources, such as the Hutt Valley, as it may be found necessary and more expeditious to harness that river, jointly from water power and electricity. That task would_ acquire a good deal of consultation with experts, an amount of study by tho City Council, and careful compilation. The whole matter will bo considered at the next meotince of the City Council, and the councillors who inspected the works yesterday will no doubt be conversant with all the essential details so far as this important work lias progressed.