ROSS" CREEK RESERVOIR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7569, 21 May 1886, Page 4

ROSS" CREEK RESERVOIR.

On Wednesday evening, a deputation consisting of Messrs M'Neill, Stevens, Duke, Ji' Donald, and Grant waited on the Maori Hill Borough Council to urge that body to demand of the City Council that the quantity of water in the reservoir be considerably lessened.

Mr Grant said the reservoir was now quite full, leaks in the embankment were increasing daily, and the lives of those residing in the Valley were not safe for an hour. They felt grateful to Mr Clifford frr his untiring efforts in bringing the matter before the attention of the City Council. As the City Council had not done anything to remedy the. defects, the deputation came to the Maori Hill Council as a last resource, that body being one representing those in danger. An engineer of high standing who examined the em? bankment on Tuesday was of opiniou that it was in such a serious state that it might give way at. any moment. Mr Grant further said the source of what was generally regarded as a spring could not be seen now, and there were half a dozen large lenks, one being three-quarters way up the bank.' There was a subsidence in the bank opposite some of the leaks, The first leak was about six feet below the steps, and three-quarters way up the embankment.

Jlr J, M'UeiU corroborated what Mr Grant had said. The engineer referred to took his walking stick and, shoving the whole length into the embankment, pulled it out wet. He then gave it as his candid opinion that it was not safe to live under that embankment for one hour, If the Maori Hill Council was not able to induce the Cit^v Council to lessen the quantity of water in the reservoir below danger point, steps should be taken in the Supreme Court to compel the City Council to do so,

Mr Clarke (clerk to the Council) asked permission to say a few words on the subject, as " one who would probably have to go first" if the embankment burst. After explaining the reasons (previously published) why the reservoir was kept full, he said a City councillor to whom he was speaking that day was satisfied there was one leak if not more in the embankment. Mr Clarke pointed out that steps should be immediately taken to relieve the minds of those in danger. He knew for a fact that the value of property in the Valley was being lessened materially, owing to what had been said about the reser-

Mr M'Neill, again, addressing the Council, said that the reason given for keeping the northern reservoir full to supply the city while the safety-valve was being fixed near the Cavcrsliam tunnel on the pipes from the Silvers!ream supply was not a valid one. Mr Mirarns had stated that a depth of 15 feet of water in the northern reservoir was suflicient to supply Dunedin for eight days. The valve could be fixed in two days' time. Agreed— " That the •Mayor, aecotnpauied by Crs. Uossbotham and Brent, and as many ratepayers as can find it convenient, wait upon the Mayor of Ihinedin to urge upon him the necessity of taking steps to remove the fears of the residents in regard to the condition of the Ross (reek reservoir.'"

A deputation, consisting of Messrs Mitchell (Mayor of Maori Hill), Brent, Clarke, M'Neill, Grant, Degrouchy, Stevens, and Duke, attended at the Town Hull Yesterday afternoon for the purpose of interviewing his Worship the Mayor with reference to the state of the embankment of the Ross' creek reservoir. It was intimated to the party that the mayor was attending the inquiry into the circumstances connected with the Dowling street accident; but as one of the council's committees happened to be holding a meeting, the deputation brought the matter before Messrs Robin, Fagan, Dawson, and Murray, the councillors present. Mr Mitchull explained that on the previous evening a deputation representing Woodhaugh residents waited on the Maori Hill Council, and urged that that body should ask the mayor of the city to have immediate steps taken for allaying the fears of the Woodhaugh people as to the state of the reservoir embankment. Some of the residents hud gone to considerable expense and trouble iv the matter. He understood that yesterday an eminent engineer inspected the embankment and reported that it was not safe to live under it for an hour.

Cr Fagax : Who was the engineer ? Mr M'Neill: The engineer who examined the embankment was Mr Duncan, of the Harbour Board.

Cr Robin : Do you mean Captain Duncan ? is a member of the Harbour Board. In order to know the value of the engineer's report, we must first know who the engineer is.

None of the members of the deputation were apparently able to state definitely whether the engineer they referred to was Captain Duncan.

Cr Robin said that Cr Pagan, chairman of the Water Supply Committee, was more conversant with the subject under discussion than any other member of the Council.

Cr Fagax expressed regret that, as the deputation had taken the trouble of coining there, the Mayor was not present. He then pointed out that the Council was being compelled to place a self-acting valve on the pipes from the southern supply, and while that work was bein°done the city would be dependent on the noi> t hem reservoir. The fixing of the valve would

have completed last Tuesday, but for a number of unforeseen circumstances. The train by which material was sent for the work carried it farther on, causing a delay; and the' recent accident in Dowling street had also caused delay. He understood that theTcitizens in the higher levels would be notified on Friday that they would not be supplied until the work was completed. Next Saturday morning the southern supply would be turned off, and in the two or three days' time necessary for fixing the valve the supply in thejßoss' Creek reservoir would be materially lessened. In order to see and examine for themselves, the Water Supply Committee lad agreed to visit the Ross' creek reservoir on Friday afternoon. They would be accompanied by the city engineer and any other engineer who chose to go. While not expressing an opinion now as to whether there were leaks, he might say they would bring experts with them. When the fixing of the valve was completed, the Ross Creek reservoir would be emptied. MrM'NEiLL: That's only putting it off from day to day, and are our lives to be sacrificed ? Mr Mirams has stated that a depth of 15ft of water in the reservoir is sufficient for fourteen days. I think that the water in the reservoir should be lowered to-night. Mr Grant : I should say so. Mr M'Neilt, : If it's not done, we will obtain an injunction at the Supreme Court tomorrow. Cr Robin assured the deputation that the City Council was satisfied that the reservoir embankment was perfectly safe. But in order to allay the scare created by Mr Clifford, an inspection was to be made aud the reservoir emptied after the work mentioned in connection with the southern supply was completed. He must give Mr Clifford credit for persistency, determination, and doggedness, but he very much questioned whether that gentleman's line of action was wise. The members of the City Corporation were as careful of the lives of Woodhaugh residents as they were of their own; their reputation was at stake. They had reason to believe that there was no danger from this embankment; that water spoken of as from leaks was running before the embankment was built—of that they had proof positive. Mr M'Neill : Do you know that there is a leak half way up the embankment and that it is carried off by a pipe in the bush ? Cr Robin : We knew that long ago. Mr M'Neill : Well it should not have been allowed to remain there since long a^o- our lives should not be tampered with in that manner. Mr Mitchell thought that, seeing the fixing ot the valve could be done in a couple of da 3's, the City Council, if it had any respect for the residents of Woodhaugh, might immediately lower the water. There could be no necessity for keeping the_reservoir full. Cr. Fagan said that when the supply was procured from one of the reservoirs alone, half the city would be without water if the reservoir were not full when the other supply was cut off; Mr Grant drew attention to a subsidence in the embankment.

Cr Dawson said that was originally caused by the bursting of a supply pipe. ■ ,;■. Mr Clarke also addressed the councillors. Cr Murray made a few remarks, in the course of which he said that they had the authority of Mr Robert Gillies, chairman of the original water works company for saying that these leaks had grown and then diminished according to the extent of the rainfall, ever since the works were constructed. However, councillors would visit the reservoir on Friday, and endeavour to ascertain whether there was any danger' lhe deputation could rest satisfied that neither ingenuity, skill, nor money would be spared in the removal of any source of danger to the residents of the low-lying parts of Woodhaugh. Mr Mitchell thanked the councillors, and the deputation withdrew.