GORE’S WATER SUPPLY

Southland Times, Issue 22487, 23 January 1935, Page 4

GORE’S WATER SUPPLY

TEMPORARY SUPPLEMENTARY SCHEME ARTESIAN BORE SUGGESTED. The advisability of securing a temporary supplementary water supply for Gore was briefly discussed at Monday night’s meeting of the Borough Council when a recommendation by the Water Committee that the engineer be asked to take steps to obtain a supplementary supply and furnish a report concerning where such a supply would bo obtainable and the approximate cost if such a supply was adopted. The Mayor (Mr A. T. Newman) explained that even if the proposed gravitation scheme for. a supply from the Waimumu stream were adopted, it would probably .be a matter of two or three years before the scheme could .be brought into operation.. In the meantime, with the increasing demand on the town supply, if would probably be necessary for the council'to provide a temporary additional supply for the needs of the town. The existing main well could probably provide for the requirements for 11 out of the 12 months of the year, but it was for the remaining period, in the event of a dry spell, that an additional supply was required The engineer could possibly advise the council where such a supply could be obtained within the borough and the No. 2 motor and plant could be utilized for this extra supply, the existing No. 2 well to be closed. Councillor A. McLachlan said that it would probably be a costly business if it was necessary to provide another chlorinating plant for the supplementary well. Councillor D. McDougall, M.P.: I don’t think we do much chlorinating now. The Mayor: We won't say too much about that. Councillor A. H. W. Aitken: Why don’t you call it poisoning the water and be done with it? Reports of Waler Diviners. Continuing, Councillor McLachlan said that if water could be obtained below the old Caledonian ground it would be possible to pump the water into the seven-inch main to go through the present chlorinating plant without extra cost. He did not know whether the council had any confidence in water diviners, but he had been informed that diviners had been over this ground and had reported that there was a good supply of water in that locality. Councillor D. L. Poppelwell said that he had little confidence in water diviners, but he would be very glad to see the area mentioned tested because he had been told that water diviners had said that there was no water there. Councillor McDougall said that in Invercargill there had been a great deal of talk about a gravitation scheme from the Dunsdale stream, but the present engineer in charge of the city water supply had solved the problem by putting a bore down in one of the wells and striking an underground stream. The supply was now more than sufficient for the city’s needs and teh residents were allowed to use as much water as they liked in their gardens. He suggested that the Borough Council should ask the engineer to inspect the Gore system to see whether the same could not be done by putting down a bore in one of the wells. If it could be don. in Invercargill there was no reason why it could not be done in Gore. If an underground stream could be struck below the existing wells it would save all the expense of a .gravitation scheme ' from the Waimumu stream. Underground Streams. Councillor Poppelwell said that Councillor McDougall’s suggestion was not altogether new. He had heard it suggested many years ago and it was the opinion of geologists that artesian water could be secured in Gore as there must be several streams which originated in the mountains and did not find their way into the rivers. When the speaker first came to Gore 38 years ago the suggestion had first come to his mind through seeing on his brother’s property at Seaward Downs a fountain of water bubbling up from an abandoned coal bore. It might be necessary to sink a bore 200 or 300 feet, even below the rocks on which the town rested, but it was probable that water could be obtained. If, however, it was at a great depth it might be a very costly matter to sink the bore. Councillor McLachlan said that it was not desirable that the engineer should commit the council to a scheme which would cost thousands of pounds

Councillor Aitken said that the engineer could not commit the council to anything. He was only asked to report, on the prospects of securing a temporary supply. Councillor McDougall asked that the matter of sinking a bore to. secure artesian water should be kept in mind when the Water Committee was considering the matter further. The Mayor said this would be done, and the recommendation was adopted. Readings at Waimumu.

The committee also reported that the engineer had asked for a sum of £l5 to take measurements of the Waimumu stream supply during the present year. The Mayor said that the measurements had been taken last year by the engineer without charge, but he had asked for a grant if he was to take the readings this year. Councillor R. S. Green ‘questioned whether the readings would be of much value now as the two most important months had been missed. The readings were only of value if taken during the dryest period of the year. Other councillors expressed the view that it was unnecessary to take readings since no measurements had been taken in November and December. The Mayor said that the council should remember that an accurate report could be given by the engineer only if the readings were taken over a considerable period. Councillor Poppelwell asked whether the engineer could not be asked for a preliminary report on the prospects of securin ' a supply from the Waimumu, and a rough estimate of the cost, on the information he had secured to date from the readings. It was finally decided to hold over the matter of the readings at the Waimumu stream pending the preparation of the report on the proposed temporary supplementary supply.