CITY WATER SUPPLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21032, 22 May 1930, Page 7

CITY WATER SUPPLY.

DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL MEETING. SULLIVAN DAM PIPE LINE. DEEP STREAM SCHEME. SILVERSTREAM WATER RACE. Various matters affecting the city water supply were discussed at the meeting of the City Council last night, when Cr Begg, chairman of the Water Committee, moved the adoption of his committee’s report. Clause 4, he said, read as fol-lows:—-“Your committee has given consideration to the matter of shortening the time for the reception of tenders for the mains, valves, and fittings required for the new pipe line from Sullivan dam. A report from the city engineer on the matter deals fully with the question, and after reviewing the terms of such report • your committee has decided that the present arrangement whereby tenders are receivable on September 3, 1030, should stand." Cr Begg said when this information had ■been placed before the last council meeting the Mayor and councillors had expressed great surprise at the time named for receiving tenders. He had immediately got into touch with the city engineer and asked him for a report on the matter. That report gave details regarding specifications and materials, and concluded with the statement that a shorter time than that allowed for the reception of tenders would.not be in the interests of the corporation, either as to cost or as to obtaining a satisfactory and complete job. It would also only have the effect of restricting, competition. The committee had gone very carefully into the matter, and had as a consequence brought in its recommendation, although the recommendation had not been a unanimous one. The town ’ clerk, said Cr Begg, had been authorised to take the necessary steps to promote a local Bill in the next session of Parliament authorising the council to take and use the waters of the Deep Stream and the Deep Creek and its, tributaries for the purpose of the city water supply., RAINFALL IN CITY. Or Begg stated that he had received a report from the city engineer, at 5 o’clock that night regarding the city water supply and he would read it to them. The report was as follows; Light showers have been recorded on five dajra during the past fortnight, the total rainfall recorded at Ross Creek Reservoir being .66 inches. The creeks have risen a little during the last week and the total inflow this morning from all sources was slightly over 4,250,000 gallons, as compared- with 3,000,000 gallons a fortnight ago. The amount of stored water in hand this morning is 72,875,000 gallons, as compared with 78,495,000 gallons a fortnight ago. “ The levels of the resevoirs and the amount of stored water in each this morning is as follows:—Ross Creek, 13ft below overflow, 22,300,000 gallons; Southern Reservoir, 12ft Sin below overflow, 27,825,000 gallons; Sullivan dam, sft 7in below overflow, 19,100,000 gallons; service reservoirs, 3,650,000 gallons;—total, 72,875,000 gallons. " The daily consumption during the past fortnight has been slightly under 4,000,000 gallons per day. The rainfall has only been sufficient so far to approximately even up the balance of consumption over inflow. The loss of stored water on Monday was 30,000 gallons, and the gain this morning was 310,000 gallons. There has not yet been sufficient rain to make a marked increase in the storage reservoirs, and the utmost care in the use of . water is still necessary, as the reservoirs are practically half empty and a great deal of leeway has to he made up.” 4 NOTICE OF MOTION. Or Marlow said he would like the clause regarding the pipe line at Sullivan dam held over till A notice of motion on the matter could be discussed. Cr Begg agreed to’ the clause being held over. • SILVERSTREAM RACE. Cr Wilkinson referred to clause three, which read as follows:—“ That authority be granted to proceed with the piping of a further length of 470 feet of the Silver- ' stream race at Femhill, where it passes over the old coal mine workings. The length to be done is a connecting link between the two portions of the race which have’ already been piped over the old workings. The estimated cost is £564.” He thought, seeing the heavy expenditure involved, that they might consider the question of purchasing the land and making a deviation in the race, thus doing away with the pipe line. OUTSIDE ENGINEER SUGGESTED. .Cr Tapley wanted to know if the local Bill were passed they would be hound to adopt the Deep Stream proposal; Seeing the amount of money that would he involved in bringing the water from Deep Stream he thought the council would be well advised to call in another engineer to repott on it, even if it cost them £SOO or £IOOO. The Mayor said that if the Bill were passed in Parliament it would not hind them, to the Deep Stream scheme. The question of bringing in an outside engineer had not got'within striking distance, so to speak, as they still had a long way to go before the initial stages were completed. As regarded the Silverstream supply they would not be able to do with; out it for many years. The Silverstream pipe line had always given them trouble, and always would. CR BEGG IN REPLY. Cr Begg said that the land at Silverstream was honeycombed, and to attempt to quy land there would not help them at all. The supply in this locality had been considered by their engineers for many years past. The only remedy in the meantime was to keep the present Pipe line in such a state as to be able to deliver the maximum load from Silverstream into the southern reservoir, which amounted to about 3,000,000 gallons a day. They would Lave to depend on Silverstream for quite a long time. He sincerely hoped they would he able in the future to do away with the continual expense of maintenance, which came to something like £BOOO per annum. The report, with the exception of the clause relating to the 14-inch pipe line from the Sullivan dam, was then adopted. CLOSING DATE OP TENDERS. At the conclusion of the meeting Cr Marlow moved—“ That the application tor tenders for 14-inch water mains returnable on September 3 he cancelled, and. that in place thereof fresh tendeiS’ he invited on the same specification returnable on July 7, 1930. Cr Marlow said that some time last year the council had been assured that the pipe line was urgently necessary to tide the city over a difficulty. The poll could not have been taken earlier than February, and it had taken from February until the last day of April to have the specifications ready. When September 3 had been recommended as the closing date of tenders, astonishment had been expressed. When he had moved in committee that the closing date be earlier he had been told that competition .would be eliminated. He had telegraphed to one firm which supplied a great deal of material to the council asking whether it could tender by June 30. The reply had been in the affirmative, but an extra week had been recommended. He put it to councillors that they must expedite works. There was a tendency to postpone works week after week. If the work was necessary the sooner it was done the better. The. difference of eight weeks which his motion would effect would bring about a big improvement in the unemployment question. It a New Zealand firm were successful, the work could be started in September. There had been a tendency to bo too far into technical details. Cr Mitchell said that the pipes were of the standard kind. He thought it ludicrous that so much time should be wasted. Cr Lawrence also stated that he thought the delay absolutely unnecessary. Cr Scott said that the Gas Department had' allowed 10 days for tenders for standard pipes. The time which the Water Committee suggested was out of all proportion to what was necessary. Cr Shacklock stated that he proposed to support Cr Marlow, one reason being that he did not want to see another department delay in the way in which the Electric Power and Lighting Committee had done. He hoped that the Water Department would make an object lesson of this work, and take good care that it

did not get into the present position of the Electric Power and Lighting Department. The council need not have called for tenders at all. It could have cabled to England for the “straights” and had the special work done in New Zealand. Standards had been drawn up for the special purpose of saving delay. The steam plant which had cost £25j000, had been delivered and set in operation in 11 months. • tajapley said that there was a feeling that an attempt was being made to pass over the New Zealand manufacturer. He hoped that the council would give preference to New Zealand pipes, even if the price was not the lowest. Cr Wilson expressed the hope that the council would not attach too much weight Pi, remarks. He thought that Cr Marlow s motion would result in a restriction of the tenders. Cr Munro expressed opposition to the proposal, though, he stated, he was anxious to see the work carried out as soon as possible. The council, however, would pnt itself. in the hands of one local firm. Ihe position would be dangerous, and he, at any rate, was not going to take the risk. Or Marlow said his was a definite motion, and Cr, Begg had agreed to accept the motion as an amendment to clause 4, and he had the right of reply. The Mayor said councillors seemed to be in a talking mood that night, and they were not getting anywhere. Cr Wilkinson said he thought it would be a dangerous course- to oppose their engineer in the face of the report he had submitted to the council. If Cr Marlow’s . motion was carried they would not have time to receiye detailed tenders. Cr Begg said that replies' had been received from 11 firms in Great Britain, two in Australia, and five in New Zealand, and they would see from these replies that two or three of the firms were in a position to submit tenders by June 30; Most of the firms, however, could not supply tenders by that date. The council could realise that they were out to give local manufacturers every opportunity to tender, but they could not compare their prices until they received the prices from other firms. As long as they had their engineer they had to be i guided by his advice. They were going to carry out a big job, and it would last for 50 years'. He would just like to tell them that their present 12inch pipe was just hanging by a thread, and-when the new pipe was put in they intended to see that it was going to be a permanent job. If they carried Cr Mar- ' low’s motion the council would have to take the responsibility. Cr Begg went on to refer to the position Cr Shacklock had found himself in, as chairman of the Electric Power and Lighting Committee and said he was not going to be put in a similar position. Whatever the council did in regard to the pipe line, it would not help the unemployment problem this year.

• Rt Shacklock said that the competition in New. Zealand for cast iron pipes would be limited. There would, however, be plenty of competition in New Zealand for steel pipes. The Mayor said the whole question was whether they could get competition in tenders on the tw 0 different rates. He thought a. tender could be obtained by cable provided the specifications were properly drawn up. It would not affect the unemployment problem this year. Cr Mitchell; It might affect the water supply next year. Cr Marlow, in replying, said there were alternative specifications, and there were three or four types of material that could be used. He was satisfied that they could get full competition and have the tenders by July 7. The tenders would be on the present specifications. CR MARLOW’S MOTION CARRIED. On Cr Marlow’s motion being put there o vi? f* ,S^ Ta Shacklock, Lawrence, Scott, Mitchell Tapley, and . Marlow; against Crs Munro, Wilson. Wilkinson, and Begg. The Mayor declared the motion carried. One or two councillors commenced to make statements when the Mayor said they were all out of order.