WATER FOR ALIENS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15076, 23 June 1942, Page 2

WATER FOR ALIENS

BOROUGH COUNCIL PROBLEM ENGINEER REPORTED ON TWO SCHEMES. The Pahiatua Borough Council held a special meeting last night to conaider the problem of water supply. An urgent request .from the ‘ Public Works Department for a , quantity of at least 30,000 gallons [ per day (someone suggested it may ! be double) threatened to leave town j pipes dry unless due measures were j taken at once to safeguard ratepay- i | ers interest However, the Council* was anxious to help the ration*! project too, and to that erSKA' Borough’s consulting engineer, Mr H F. Toogood, of Wellington, was present by urgent invitation. Councillors present were Mr S. J Judd (Deputy Mayor), all councillors except Mr J. Sandman who sent an apology, the Town Clerk, Mr A. W. Hamilton, and the borough foreman. Mr G. Ancell. The Deputy-Mayor said a roquesz had been received lor the installation of a 4 by 5 T opposite the racecourse aud Mi- Sharpe, P.W.D. engineer had said the demand would be 30,(XX) gallons, possibly even 60 - 000 gallong a day. As councillors were aware this would leave the borough dry. It doubled our consumption of 30 gallons per head per day. Present supply from Balfour Springs w r as adequate for present needs and normally the supply question could have been shelved for the duration. If the Borough could not supply the water then the P.W.D. would have to solve the problem themselves but Pahiatua was anxious to help if it wer e possible to do so without the supply breaking down. The job was getting their supply at present through a ijin. pipe, the original Racing Club connection The question now laid befor e them was how Pahiatua can supply the P.W-D. and still maintain an adequate towm supply. Mr H. F. Toogood wras introduced and expounded two proposals but said until he committed himself to writing he did not offer his opinions as definitely fixed. The first proposal was th*. laying of a 9in. main from the present reservoir to the racecourse at an approximate cost of £6OOO While, the larger maun would slightly reduce resistance no direct benefit to Pahiatua would accrue until it was extended right to the Bank of N.S.W. corner where the present 5-in. ended. # The alternative was construction of a reservoir at the top Wakeman Street oomnected with present reservoir which has a stv age of 144,000 gallons. The new one would, need to hold 250,000 gallons, two days supply. The pipe line would be so valved at the ends as to enable water to flow to whichever one required, it and if both were full then the pump would automatically cut out. Mr Toogood said it was good hydraulics to have the supply near the point of delivery but the cost would exceed No. 1 project, he estimated. In such cast one reservoir would be serving each group of consumers with the reserve reticulating automatically. Such scheme was in line with future requirements but ignored the fact that our 35-year-old main was approaching the end of its economic life. It was. giving no trouble but they never did until the very end Aeration would have its maximum effect at rises in the main, not unifoinily along its entire length so inspection was apt to be deceiving. Whichever scheme appealed to councillors they must remember whatever was done must be doue smartly. Time was *New Zealand’s most precious element today. After two hours solid discussion in committee the following motion was moved by Cr. Brown and seconded by Cr. Sturton: “That the Borough obtain from Mr Toogood a written report and estimate on the two alternative schemes. Provided the subsidy likely to be obtained from the Government is equal, the Council prefers the Wakeman Street scheme.”—Carried

It was thought that the Government would be likely to pay either £3OOO or alternatively a £1 lor £1 subsidy. In th e meantime the contractor is to be connected thiough a lin. pipe at a meter rate of Is 6d per 1000 gallons. Mr Toogood was thanked for h:s attendance and the meeting adjourned. ' Another special meeting will be held as soon as the engineer submits his report.