SITE FOR NEW RESERVOIR

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1934, Page 14

SITE FOR NEW RESERVOIR

BOROUGH’S PURCHASE OF LAND.

PROBAEILE NECESSITY OF FUTURE.'

The New Plymouth Borough Council’s decision to purchase approximately five acres of land at Moturoa is announced to have been the result of a necessity likely to arise in the future when the present water reticulation system is unable to provide sufficient pressure for the west end of the borough. The site is held by the borough engineer, Mr. C. Clarke, to be eminently suitable for the building of a reserve reservoir which could be brought into operation to maintain pressure in periods of peak demand. In a report submitted to the council the engineer stated that he had for some time considered the probable future possibilities of a pressure regulator reservoir for water purposes at the west end of the borough. The advantages to be gained by such a reservoir in the future were hard to estimate, but were sure to be considerable. Due to the topographical position of New Plymouth in relation to the headworks and the position of the trunk mains feeding the town the west end of the borough would in time become more difficult and costly to serve with reasonable pressure and volume. If the pressure on the higher levels of Moturoa was to depend on the capacity and size of the mains from the headworks of the Breakwater Road, the time would come when the cost of enlarging those mains to overcome friction loss would be heavy. If on the other hand a suitable reservoir site was available, the pressure could be maintained during periods of peak consumption from the reservoir, thus saving large expenditure on the enlarging and duplication of existing mains. Such a reservoir would be filled by gravity from the present mains at night during periods of low consumption and by means of automatic valves feeding back into the system when the pressure in the area dropped below that obtainable by gravity from the reservoir.

An excellent site existed on the South Road. That site with an area of approximately five acres was 275 feet above mean sea-level and was higher than any other part of the borough. The site was suitable for the building of a reservoir of large dimensions if ever required. Although he did not consider that a reservoir was required at present, he would recommend that the site should be, if possible, procured by the borough immediately.

He was satisfied that only one other site of suitable elevation existed at that ei.d of the town, but was in the county and was not as suitably situated as the one recommended.