CLEARING THE AIR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17437, 8 April 1931, Page 7

CLEARING THE AIR

, FOR, EMERGENCY ONLY “From 11 if eoiuinetvemoul of \wa)>iiui uegot i;»tions it has Lorn umlrrI si mill ilr.it llto (■otilicil desired (lie pool ns an oilier:. oil v supply. .My ennten ’ tion w lioii originally meeting I lie i council was t lint it was a shame to | spend money developing doiihlful Awapuni water when ample water is inline to waste three-ipiarlers of the year in the existing Te Arai watercourse, ronse.niition of same not only giving quaiilily to avoid emergencies, hut also improved rpiiililv at the same iinie. The eouneil. having acquired the woolworks I tool. should keep same for a real emergency. such as tut earllnpiake. Then it Plight lie. Lot now is not needed. “In a statement published in Iho press mi March 24 last if was staled that 'tin' council has no intention of using a waier that is in any wav conlaminated.’ It was stated that a private firm will coni ract to deliver water from Awanuni pond of salisfaclnrv I,arterial pnalilv, and that similar machines as proposed are opera tile' at One hiiiiga. Ilamillon. etc. This is misleading, as at Oncluingn and Hamilton lillralioti is carried out as well as chlorination. I must stress the fad that in jll v opinion filtration would le needed also at Awaptmi. li was stale'll that pollution of the pond was ncriirring from the sides. I would reniind you that you immned the pond pra «• t i < - a 11 y eniptv. and when refilled from seepage or underground flow, the test, sample was immediatelv taken from the centre of the pool, and proved pollution to he nei-urring ifrom the underground (hoc. Ear front being noli tiled as it stood, it actually improved, by storage, and that pollution from tin l sides spoken of has Leen proved hv the tesl negligible. It was also staled that the eouneil proposed to cleanse the basin, but from the tests if lias proved In be the eatehmenl area that, needs cleansing, and attention lo the basin bottom will oof prevent polluted water flowing in. The catchment area is, of course, entirely unprotected, and. nothing can lie done with it for financial reasons. COUNCIL MUST ACCEPT RISK “Tii a letter of March 11. it was slated i bat tlio ‘eouneil lias alrcadv decided that the. Awaptmi supply should not be pumped into the town sttpplv until same has been treated lo satisfv the Health Department.’ The Health Denarlntent litis warned the eouneil that, even though treated, it could not. he recommended as a public supply, and from now on Ihe eouneil ilself must accept, the risk. The position now is o'nt. even if Hie eouneil does chlorinate, the Director-General states that the Health Department accepts no responsibility for the use of the water “Secondly, the need for improvement of the existing town supply. Tn a loader in the Herald of Alareh 11 it was slated. ‘The town requires something better than a mere emergency supply, to he used only as a last resource when evert liing else fails.’ T appeal to you to-niglii for the same reason, the ultimate good of Hie town. Te Arai has not failed et to give sufficient, quantity to avoid emergency, and there is Mnnganoike in reserve. To give abundance • here is needed develomnent of Te Arai. T would remind von that (lie minimum flow of Te Arai in drought rears is ,I dO.OCO gallons daily, or 34 gallons per b«ad per day fm’ (be whole town, nr 40 gallons per head per day in the veticulnted area. This really means that Ihe ‘emergency’ for which Awaptmi is I;liked of is not pressing, there being no need to ‘augment uwcnlly. ’ as was represented, to the Director-General. The thing that; is pressing and urgent the necessary imnrovemeni in quality of the existiiig supply, and T only advocated the dam at head works as a means of attaining this end. the more desirable as if. gave increased quantify at the same time. AN UNTENABLE POSITION “The eouneil lias not. yet answered my letter of February 24. asking for action re an improvement, of town supply, and .suggesting two means: 1. chlorination; or 2. storage tit, handworks. I gave reasons whv T advocated the latter: but. you are of course free to decide what, means you shall adopt, so 1 long as you take some action. Your proposed development of Awapuni leaves the main supply uidouched, an untenable position, now that you are warned ihat flte. main supply needs attention, f shall be pleased to help in any further wav possible. 1 also hope to receive soon some, answer as io the result o r ‘■onncil consideration of my memo of I’obruarv 24. drawing adoption to the need for an improvement in the quality of the main supply.” Continuing. Rr. Turbntf said lie disliked having to force himself upon the council, tint the Health Act provided that he should do so. The function of his department was to advise local authorities in matters of public health, •iml he had statutory authority to push li imself on I o I lie council. The health officer said he required it lo fie slated authoritatively that the Awaptmi water would not tie used for an auxiliary or town supply. It would he necessary to prove beyond dnilld I Ini I I In' nailer unis' no longer dangerous In health, even though if would he used only in emergency. Te Arai had proved that if could meet the urgent requirements, ai'ul Te Arai would have to he improved in the near future; the council should leave Awapuni alone, and develop its headwork s. A POLLUTED ROND I'ionnci.ul reasons did not apply, foilin' council would have to find the money from somewhere to develop I lie head works. Awapuni was a polluted pond, and ii would still lie them’ ir ease of desperate emergency. The Mayor: That's ail we w,anted it for. I Dr. Turbott suggested that he had . Hot'heen taken fully into the cmmcil’s confidence, a statement to which Ur. X. V. Reaul’oy objected. I Th" health officer referred to the 'council's negotiations and actions prior to the purchase, and remarked that that was ilof his idea of t‘ooperatioa. ‘II is because the council did not accept the advice offered that all this has come about,” he said. The Mayor: You must realise that at j "ItAXTEK’S" KOI: J’.VUHATIA. "Out of the mouths of babes." A Wellington Indy who has two children, n hoy of live. John, and u baby girl of seven weeks, Barbara, related to a friend a rather amusing incident in connection with tile kiddies. Baby Barbara had been put out in the air for her morning sleet), and John, who is very interested in his small sister, had been watching by the pram very closely. Soon he ran into his mother and looking very solemn said, “Mum, • I think Barham lias a ■■old: she has a little cough. Don’t you think we’d better give her some ‘Baxter’s’"" Baxter's Imng Preserver is the favorite cough and cold remedy in Xcw Zealand. Every mother knows how good it is for all members of the family. This rich, red, soothing compound is invaluable l’or coughs, colds, sore throats. Imskiness, and all chest I and lung troubles. Possesses wonder - till tonic properties too. Obtainable at all cheinists and stores; generous-sized bottle halt'-a-crown, economical family size 4/G, and bachelor’s bottle 1 /(!. The new screw cap preserves the contents and saves trouble with tiresome corks.*

AWAPUNI PURCHASE EMERGENCY SUPPLY ONLY HEALTH OFFICER AND COUNCIL Any • misunderstanding that existed between the Borough Council and the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. H. B. Turbott, in connection with the council’s proposals as to the use u! water from the Awapuni spring, recently purchased. was explained away when Dr. Turbott waited upon the council at its meeting last evening to discuss the situation, and as one councillor resriarked, the debate, though it might not have cleared the water, had cleared the air. It was explained to the health officer that the council had no intention of using the tvat'er other than to meet a dangerous emergency, and that it was fully alive to the importance of developing the headwoi’ks at Te Arai, and at the condition of the discussion Dr. Turbott ‘ expressed himself as satisfied with the explanation. The Mayor explained that it had been agreed at the last meeting that when in Wellington lie should talk the matter over with the Director-General of Health, Dr. M. H. Watt. Last weekend he interviewed Dr. Watt, and explained the whole matter to him. They then interviewed the Government Analyst, and explained to him what 1 plant would be used in the event of water; being taken from Awapuni. I lie afmlyst agreed.that the plant would bo all right. I)r. Watt said his department preferred that the council should go into the greater augmentation scheme, but the Mayor explained to him that the scheme was inopportune and impossible at present, and Dr. Walt said lie, realised that, in view of the financial stress. Dr. Watt said fie was not very keen on. chlorinators, owing to their tendency to get out of order, hut that that' would not affect the.council, as il would be using Awapuni only as an emergency supply. I iio speaker had asked Dir. Watt' to communicate the nature of their conversation to Dr. Turbott, and the latter had asked permission to discuss the matter with the council. At the outset, Dr. Turbott explained that lie had expected a visit from the Mayor on the latter’s return from Wellington,. but as that visit did not eventuate ho had gone to some trouble to mept the council, as it was essential that he should do so before a decision iyas reached. The deputation to Wellington had not changed the position, said Dr. Turbott, who proceeded fo read the following letter to the council, which he had prepared so that the council might have something in writing before it. POSITION RESTATED “The Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, recently visited Wellington and intervievveu Dr. Watt, Director-General ul Healili re the water supply. Dr. Watt Has since communicated with me, and if, is obvious from his memorandum that the augmentation of the borougti supply by the use of a pond at tliu Awapuni woolworks was discussed fully, io tue negjlect or inadequate representation of the need for improving the exj isting Te Arai supply, altogether apart I from the question of augmentation. It " is therefore necessary to restate the position clearly, first as regards the woolworks pond at Awapuni, and secondly as regards the present town supply. ,i i f ‘'First, then, augmentation of existing supply by the use of Awapuni woolworks pond*. The position has not changed, hut can. now be restated authoritatively from Dr. Watt’s communication subsequent to Mr. Coleman s visit to Wellington: “L You are advised again, as formerly by me, that it ‘was always wiser to use a pure water supply than to attempt to purify a ' contaminated supply.’ Failing a pure water supply, the best offering supply should be tapped. The woolworks pond is a very poor water, described by the Dominion Analyst as not potable, with ur entirely unprotected watershed. “2. You are also advised again, as formerly by me, that ‘provided the water were adequately chlorinated it could be rendered fit for human consumption, although it could not be recommended as a public supply.’ In other words, chlorination effectively carried out> kills dangerous disease germs, but does not render a water a fit drinking supply. To this end (i.e.. town supply) filtration would probably be needed fur water of Awapuni type, as well as chlorination, according to health practice. I trust that you will note the Director-General’s reiteration of my condemnation of the water; ‘it could not be recommended as a public supply.’ “3. You are finally advised as follows: ‘The position then is that the department accepts no responsibiliiv for the use of this water.’