MORNINGTON WATER SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13960, 20 July 1907, Page 5

MORNINGTON WATER SUPPLY

ESTIMATE OF THE COST. ■ v A QUESTION OK PIPES, There was a full attendance at, a special meeting of tho Mornington Council last evening to consider tho question of the water supply. The following letter was read from tho engineer (Mr AV. .1. Hail): — I have. the honour io submit- herewith a plan showing the reticulation and estimate of tho cost of the scheme for the water supply lor the Borough ot Mornington. A service resorvoir at an elevation ot 700 ft above sea level, to, contain 270,000gn1, to bo constructed on lc-iid facing Ei»ilon. street, the supply water for which wilt lie obtained from tho nuiiii running along High street Koslyn. At the lower reservoir the pressure is reduced to the -120 ft level. Six. hundred house connection are provided for in tho estimate, hydrants being placed at 100 ynid intervals. It will be observed that all tho water is obtained from the Waitati-Leith supply only, which 1 recommend.as the best and purest water. Only 0110 mater will be required in consequence. Tho whole work is to bs let in four contracts as follows:—

Contract 1: Supply o! material, cast-iron pipes, 'specials, valves, galvanised iron pipes, ctc.

Contract 2: Service reservoir, Epsilon stroef. 1

Contract 3: Service reservoir and tank, Brunei street.

Contract -1: Laying of mains and house services.

I enclose a letter giving me an option over the section where the lower reservoir and relieving tank should be placed. I have inspected other sites, but either the owners would not self or the prico asked was prohibitive. The site shown is very suitable for the purpose.—l have, etc., ■\Ym. J. Hall, Engineer, ESTIMATE OF COST. Cast-iron pipes £4796 12 0 Uppc-r. resewoir and 'lsn\d 1300 0 0 Lower reservoir, relieving tank and'land , 577 0 0 Main through Roslyn .. .. -850 0 0 Specials, (hydrants, etc 1125 9 10 Laying pipes and house connections 2020 0 .0 Engineering and contingencies, ■ 12 per cent 12S0 5 7 ' £11, M 9 7 5 To complete tho reticulation of Elgin, Argyle, Buchanan, Kcdfcrn, and John streets, and 50 honsa connections 355 IS 0 £12,305 5 5 For continuation of Jin main up Elgin load to Lncan street .. 168 0 0 £12,#' 5 5; No pipes of a les3 diameter than 3in used (except houso services), so waler will be avail-, able for fire extinction wherever pipes are laid.

The Watcii Committeo reported as follows:— Your committee considers the plan of the reticulation and cstinrote-of cost very satisfactory, and recommends that the same ba adopted, and that Mr Half l>e instructed to proceed with the calling of tenders. To complete the reticulation ot Elgin, Argyle, Buchanan, Renfrew, and John streets and the continuation of a 4in main to Lucan street would cost a further sum ot £523 18s. Your committeo recommends'that tbeso streets bo reticulated upon three-fiftha of tho ratepayers agreeing to toko the water, and for further extensions, any street or new street, taken over or formed by-t,ho borough to be retfcukted within 12 months after being requested' so to do in writing, provided, that not leas than threo dwelling-houses rhall have been erected fronting any suoh new street, for every 100 yards of the reticulation eo required. Cr Henderson (chairman ot the Water Committee) eaid the committee had gone over the whole district, togethei with the engineer, very carefully. It would bo noticed that the proposed scheme was slightly different from the late Mr Barr's. It provided for taking' all the water from the Roslyn rescrvior, and it was proposed to have a second reservoir in CJlcnolg street. This was practically neccssary,. as the fall .(240ft) was so .great that otherwise extra •heavy pines would be .required, and a lowlevel tank was necessary to reduce the pressure. ■ The ■ portion of the borough to be Teticulatcd .from'.the lower -reservoir was to have . connecting valves, so that tho water for the higher level could bo turned on (this being separate) to the low-level supply in caso.of ifiro.-or whon required. There would be no waste of water, as it would run through the pipes and fill up the lower reservoir.

,The Mayor (Jlr H. A. LeCren) said lie understood tho estimate, was a little below the late Mr Barr's.

Cr Solomon said thai an Auckland Bin' was making an earthenware pine at a much* lower figure than was asked for the usual iron pipe. He believed that most of the ccuncillors agreed with him that theso pipes would lie better from a hygienic point of view.. Of course it would never do for'the council io tate the risk of th'e experiment. He would suggest that the engineer's attention be directed to the matter. No doubt the firm would bo willing to tako the risk itself.

Or Henderson said tho committee had gone carefully into this matter, but Mr Hall would not recommend the use of this pipe. A sudden strain, it was said, might crack a pipe some distance away, and thrco days must elapse before tho cement in the repairs would be quite 6cl. The steel pipe, also, in the engineer's opinion, was liable to strain and rust.

Cr Nicol said he believed that this pipe would stand 2251b perisquaro.inch. He considered that the earthenware pipe would give a, muoh purer supply. Cr Bridger: "What difference will the installation of- this pipe make?"

Cr Solomon: " One of 45 per cent., or an approximate saving of £2500." Cr Anderson said lie was satisfied the pipes mentioned would bo muoh cleaner, and the corrosion which was met with in iron pipes would be obviated. Tho danger of breakage was .done away with by a« air cushion. • ' Several other councillors expressed themselves favourably in regard to tho use of tho earthenware pipe. It was ultimately resolved to defer the matter until the next ordinary meeting of the council three weeks hence, tho committee meanwhile to write and obtain paras lo R. 0. Clark and Co.'s hydraulic earthenware pipes, and whether they are being used in any parts of the colony;'also'whether the company is prepared to give a guarantee as to their efficiency. The engineer will he asked to be present.