WAIPORI POWER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 28, 10 March 1914, Page 7

WAIPORI POWER.

THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS

COMPARED WITH COLERIDGE.

During his vkit to Dunedfrr an Opportunity was afforded the Mayor of Christchurch to inspect the Waiporl electric power station. He accepted the invitation, and, along with Messrs Stark (Dunedin city electrical engineer), Wharton (Government Inspector of Mines), Millar (a diver from Port Chalmers), he made the trip. WAIPOEI THE DIFFICULT.' Waipori is about 35 miles from Dunedin, and the party did about two-thirds of the distance by motor car. The rest of the journey was. done on horseback, as the road—or, rather the absence of a road —made things too 'difficult for a - motor car. In some instances the incline was as steep as one in two, and it was only, with the greatest difficulty that the horses were able to these ' steep grades. "The country," said the Mayor, "rises 1000 ft in a very short tance. " '

BOOMSTEE DAYS. One of the scenes on the journey recalled the old gold-dredging days. In this part of Otago there were, at one time, about 200 dredges at work;- The* glory, has to a large extent departed, as only about 60 remain at work. Thei'e is also ; some sluicing proceding. A$ EXPENSIVE - ' • The-'party""inspected Lake- Llewellyn; and Loch Lomond —two artificial creations,^ —and then went to the intake, where the old fluming staafced. The fluming, which jvas' built by a company - ' some nine years ago at a cost of £18,000,, is now completely abandoned. The afcan-, donment was induced %j two factors — first, the continual interruptions caused' r by slips on the hillside, and; second, ths' - fluming was completely worn out by the grit and gravel traveling along, it. The corporation paid the company £34,000 for • its plant-,and water rights. ■.'--•* AT THE TUNNEL. . . A tunnel, 7ft x 7ft has pierced the hill, so that the difficulty with the slips has been completely obviated. Incidentally,' - , the tunnel eost £21,000. From the tunnel to the powpr-hoiiße are three pipe % J lines-—not so large as'the Lake Coleridge lines, but the fall from the outlet to the • power-house is 688 ft, as compared with 480 ft at Lake Coleridge. The pressure at the delivery end is 3001b to the square •» ■;■ ' inch, as compared, with 2001b at .Lake . r - Coleridge. The pipes are laid on the ground, and some trouble has been caused . - f ■ by subsidences at certain places. The = pipes will be carried on-derricks at these places. Each pipe at the delivery end is "-i divided into two, and they operate on'the Pelton./wheels, which in turn provide the ' *,' power for six of 1000kw.

, A COMPARISON. \ "The natural advantages of the Lake * Coleridge scheme, as compared' with . . "VVaipori, cannot for a moment be questioned," said the Mayor. "At Lake Coleridge an enormous storage is pro.yided by Nature, whilst at Waipori - , there is no natural storage. Storage has been provided artificially by the eree- * tion of weirs across the various gorges. The two lakes previously represent the storage capacity; now available. In order to provide'an additional reserve for . dry periods, it- ib now proposed to' raise the weir* an—* othep' r thirtv f ept, A second scheme, is '_> under consideration to use -the water over a second time by the erection .of a small weir below the power-house. By continuing the fluming 4£' miles jdown, a further drop of 350 ft could be <• ' obtained. .

THE OUTPUT. s» The highest output, said the Mayor, •ds 'SIOO kw, representing 50,000 unijs; and the highest half-hour average is 3800kw, The terms on which the , Christchurch City Council is purchas-*' ing from the Government are On the . , half-Jh our average, so that* instead of .paying £5 , per kw on wj©,< Avould be paying on 3800kw, showing an annual saving per annum of £6500 —assuming that our output will be as' large as that of Waipori. PEA SOUP. The Mayor remarked that the water supplied in the Waipori scheme was • 'more like pea soup than water —the result of the gold-mining higher up the river. The water was impregnated with grit and small shingle, and the effect was to cause . rapid deterioration in those parts of the machinery with which it came into contact. Mr Hol-j land exhibited the gun metal casing of a small Pelton wheel, which' been worn to a thin shell by the action of the gritty water. The Dunedin authorities now proposed to use cast steel t« replace-the gun* metal. At Lake Coleridge the water was as clear as crystal)-;and the use of turbines, imf possible at Waipori, would be possible * there. , -". NO ROAD. What strikes the visitor, the Mayor remarks, is tHat no road has been made .- to the powers station during the past • nine years. |*Che eouncil has now a large staff, &nd is engaged making;* ; road, with an easy grade, which will cost £9OOO or £IO,OOO. Already nearly half a million"-has been, authorised"for carrying out the Waipori scheme, and Dunedin' is to; be congratulated on its enterprise in«'this matter.