A Great Work

Southland Times, Issue 18063, 5 February 1903, Page 3

A Great Work

Apart |rom railways, etc., it ls almost saitf colony has expanded so large a sum on one work as has Western Australia on. the Coolgardie waterworks, just put into operation^ ' and tha whole project is so extensive in area and unusual in character that 7a fcw'^deta-^-df*!^ 'Scope and construction ywM^^ The chief w'or-cs-uudder ther scheme are a storage ;;r_-inrvs^7^bi_-7tte<--3El^en_-" river, pumping installations at eight stations, a main co_id_it;7of 7 _steeL pipes, receiving tanks, 'n_inb^7f^i^pii*Si> and" service reservoirs, aid distributing pipes on the goldfields. .The; storageireseryoir is capable oi holding " 9A 'ssvr.6l year's supply, .the «apaci fiy \.bii^l^i^bM6yf^7-''lavely-' from which 7watfcr.c*n7 be y&rti-wiL- and the : overflow level lieing 4,6OO;OO0,OOOgais; . This reservoir wais formed I '■•by .building a con-'''ct^'-wdrHo'a-'-'r^S^t^'of 100 ft. above '■^«'^river-;--l>ed/^'with-.-'its foundation in one part from 90ft: to' looft below the bed." The river bed -at; the weir site is 320ft -abtfve sea -level, and the lowest' supply level ; f rom-which 'water "'is pumped. i_i 340 ft abtfye-sea^level, while the main: di-tributing-- reservoir :is no less :than 1630ft- aik) ve-seArlevei. '.The total Betlift is ; therefore about- 1290 ft, but allowliig: forl^ei^ loss of head du&Ttoy variation of level at the pumping stations, and other such contingencies, 7a total gross lift of 2700 ft Has been provided for. This lift is distributed among sets of jpngines -and pumps located at eight stations along thesro.ute. The main conduit consists of sieel pipes of the HephaS§^^^n"%^^tent locking-bar type, ea<_£liW^-aJe^^ diam-, eter is MH^^^ quarter of an Anchy W& < Ttie *in^imwn thickness fiv<Htot^t_is_ yt>f y^-airr; inchGenerally; ■ the(^*i^f ir^iaid; my Frenches and^SJw^y?3^^Je^6cketed sleeves, or > ? ftd3_We_y wlta.: lead joints. At seven of :th^iTuniping stations there are receiving tanks of ysufficient capacity to provide for^ irreg^ajrities in the pumping an^y^f^^dn^g^cießy jand-ay service remß_W7'^''^ :^^^^^ :^^ o^-^-^ v^^ y haiN_S^«mstn^^pit '■" :Tobra_c:7 Hill. a^OT#lSbft aboveTtfce level of the chief, parfP^f Coolg^dtei Some £IBO,OOCr oirpS&tte total of about two .miUion ariW'iaif is to be expended on works beyorid Ctoblgardie, including distribute ing^ m*m **>^ariouf,mining <*ntresand a ieri^c^Teserydii 1 V** Kalgoorlie .The pi!* i^ throughout 7m adjacent to the rS Une, and provision >s jnade against the possible emergency ol having to cease pimping for a period up to sevS:dayJ.iat anyone.of the pumping edmi^;6<w#^^pß? a^ i€ ■? pu^ ei^rßist^ 61328 Tallies from the reservoir on the Helena river. S^3 mUes 7from Perth, _.&&- forced ttDlU^JiatjQft*^ertte«-V 7 .