CITY’S ADVANCEMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10542, 19 March 1920, Page 3

CITY’S ADVANCEMENT

IMPORTANT WORKS WATER SUPPLY, LIGHTING, AND ELECTRICITY. APPROVED BY COUNCIL. One of the most important reports ever submitted to the Wellington City Council was considered at a special meeting bold last evening. Members were summoned to discuss in detail a report compiled by a joint committee of the finance and property and power stations and tramways committees in regard to electric power, lighting, and water supply. Rough details of the report, as understood, appeared in the “Times" on Tuesday last. Owing to the great amount of technicality and detail involved in the report, the council’s deliberations were held in committee. At the conclusion of the meeting an announcement was made concerning the progress and decisions of the meeting. COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The committee reported that it had given careful consideration to a report that* had been prepared by the general manager of the tramways and electric lighting departments (Mr W. H. Morton) respect to power stations for the civy as affected bv the Government’s proposed hydro-electric scheme, together with a report from the assistant-manager (Mr M. Cable). The committee recommended that the council approve the pronosals contained in the manager’s report, and also recommendations advanced by him in connection with the water supply of the city, in which he suggested tlie piercing of a tunnel into the .Orongorongo Valley as the quickest • method of obtaining an additional supcommittee recommended that the council treat these matters as -works of an urgent nature, and obtain the sanction of the ratepayers at the earliest possible moment. THE WATER SUPPLY CITY ENGINEER’S REPORT. IMPORTANT WORKS DETAILED. Mr Morton reported as follows: — “Prior to leaving New Zealand on my recent visit to England and America a report was submitted by me concerning the water supply of Wellington city. I then' asked that such ‘report should be considered as one for discussion order to determine whether certain districts outside the city would require to be considered. Nothing having been done, X have now come to the conclusion that it is unnecessary- to give consideration to the possibility of supplying Petone and Lower Hutt, and, therefore, have to advise that in view of the present inadequacy of the system work should be authorised to proceed as soon as possible in connection with what is immediately' necessary. BIG SCHEME' OUTLINED. “The report previously submitted still holds good, but I recommend an alteration in the method of procedure with the work previously suggested. X now consider that the quickest method of getting- an additional supply to the city*, would be by piercing tub tunnel into the Orongorongo Valley and conveying for use in tho city a- quantity of water not less than 3,000,000 gallons per day, and that such supply should —at a proper level on the Wa inui side of the ridge, 'be conveyed direct into the Karori resorvoju;, in order that this latter reservoir iniay at all times be kept filled with water and become a much more serviceable reservoir than it is at present. "The catchment area at Karori is much too small to enable that reservoir to be kept completely filled during each year. A supply as suggested would enable this to ho done and tho water stored in Karori could bo used more beneficially' and more freely in connection with keeping up the pressures throughout the city and also to provide a satisfactory supply from which to pump to the districts of Onslow and Karori. It will also ho of greater benefit to the city in the event of any serious disturbance causing damage to the existing mains. “The additional supply should he sufficient at a rate of consumption of 7X gallons per head per day along with existing sources of supply to meet the requirements of a population well over 130,000 people. This would be for* a period of, say, fifteen years, and at the end of that time further developments regarding tho advisability of talcing over tho Hutt river scheme for the supply of additional electrical power to tho city would enable a satisfactory determination to be come to as to considering the connecting up with the reservoir, which would be constructed immediately below the junction of the Hutt river and the Pakuratahi river for future possible extensions of th| water supply system. TOTAL COST .£337,332.

"The probable estimated cost of piercing the hill between Wainui-o-Mata end tno Orongorongo has ■ already been given at .£BO,OOO, including the pipe through same. The main connecting this supply from the Wainui side of the hill at the upper reaches of George’s Creek should bo 21in in diameter, and to meet the unusually high pressures to which it will be subjected would require that the main shall be constructed of metal of unusual thickness. "The total estimated coat of the work is as follows :

New 21in main from the mouth of tunnel at George’s Creek to Karori reservoir, 1379 chains ... 208,575 Tunnel from Wainui-o-Mata into the Orongorongo 80,000 Tunnel from Wainui-o-Mata into the Waiwctu 18,000 .£300,575 Engineering and contingencies ... 30,057 Total .£337,232 “It is extremely difficult at present to make accurate estimates regarding the cost of the work in view of the fluctuaions in prices for material and labour. I would ask that this fact be taken into consideration when going into the probable cost of the work now proposed. Further, the cost allowed per ton for the main is at least 33 per cent, greater than was allowed in my previous estimate at the time of writing, when it 'was expected that there was a'possibility of nrices becoming slightly lower. "I recommend that the above proposal be imni/ediatel-- considered by the council with a view to getting the work put in hand at the earliest possible moment.” SCHEME APPROVED. The scheme was approved as a whole, but the questions of sites in regard to power stations had yet to receive further consideration, probably at the next meeting of the council. Further details of Mr Morton’s scheme will he announced later, after further consideration by the council.