DUPLICATION OF PIPE

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1935, Page 3

DUPLICATION OF PIPE

BOROUGH COUNCIL DISCUSSION. ACCEPTANCE OF TENDER. The, recommendation of the electric light and tramways cpmmittee that the tender of £9Bl from Messrs. C. Swanson Ltd. for the supply and erection of a steel pipe-line and fittings at the hydroelectric works, Mangorei, should be accepted caused some discussion at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council owing to a suggestion that the pipe would be a duplication of the one already in use. The tender was accepted. Cr. Stainton had suggested that the dupUcation of the present pipe was necessary on account of earthquake risk, said Cr. F. S. Grayling. In his opinion, if the pipe were to be dupHcated for that reason it would be useless saving, for the new as well as the old pipe would be affected by a possible earthquake. “I have no memory of making such a statement.” declared Cr. P. E. Stainton. “The position is that the volume of water is too great for the present pipe and it is essential that another pipe should be laid. It is interesting to note that the tenders for the dupUcation of the pipe are £lOOO less in price than the price for half the original pipe.” Explaining the position from a technical point of view, Mr. W. H. Huggett said the council was now suffering a loss on peak loads. It was most important that the work should be done. The present pipe had a capacity of only half of the tunnel.

Cr. F. Amoore recalled that provision had been made for other pipes when the original pipe was laid down. A good part of the life of the original pipe must have gone as the pipe had been down for 10 or 12 years of its life of 25 years. The laying of another pipe would be a good stand-by and the time had now arrived when another pipe should be laid.