WAITARA'S NEEDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13637, 16 April 1908, Page 3

WAITARA'S NEEDS.

WATER SUPPLY AND DRAINAGE. Messrs Orbell and Mackay, engineers, of Stratford, have, forwarded to the \\ aitara Borough Council the following reports on schemes for installing a nign-pressure water supply and drainage : — WATER SUPPLY. In iresponse to your request to report on ft high-pressure water supply for \«rartara, we beg to state that in our - opinion the most 'favourable stream from which to oßtain an efficient pressuro and supply is, the Waiongona River. The Waitara River does not appear suitable owing to the fact that it becomes very- muddy during even 1 slight floods and its bed rises so slightly going upstream that it would entail a very long length of main to obtain' the necosaary fall to give the required pressure. A tributary of the Waiau 6tream near Tikorangi has been ' sug^ gested,, but as this is. only a small stream, a reservoir would be necessary, and with a summer as dry as last sum vmer it is doubtful if the supply would) equaUtho demand. There is also the question of the Council having eventuauyto purchase the whole of the water- , shed to obtain a pure supply, and the cost of this would be enormous. Nono of these difficulties and objections present themselves in tho case of the Waiongona, which is.a never-failing mountain stream with a clear, stony bed, which, to a large extent^ filters the water as it flows along. The water also keeps fairly clean even in" floods. Another item in favour of the Waiongona scheme is the facilities for transporting the pipe mains by means of the , railway , (which practically follows the proposed route), the cost of which eiflfcorvpf the other schemes would be a sf eat 'tfeal more. In view of the above aqts we have confined our report to he Waiongona scheme as being the >est and most practicable for yoiir borough's requirements. In preparing estimates, etc., in connection *pith this scheme, we have )orne m^mmd your Council's request■a. give a sufficiently good for fire-prevention purposes in all parts of the borough, and the scheme we propose will give a pressure of lOQlbs per square inqh a£ the level of the pound at^t^e corner of the Main North Road (practically the highest point in tho borough) and lSOlbs/per square inch -at the Waitara Bridge. The intake would be situated in the Waiongona River, about half a mile north of Waiongona Station, at a point where tho river is close, to the Mountain Road and railway, . opposite Section 91, Huirangi District. From the intake a nine-inch main would, follow the Mountain" Road to the Devon Road, thence along Devon Road, down Big Jim's Hill, into and along McLean Street to its interse«#icto with Wesli Quay. This main w i d *?e? c tapped at necessary points along McLean Street to furnish reticulation for the portion of the borough on tho west side of the Waitara River, ror^he portion of the borough east of the river we propose carrying a si*mcb, main across the bridge and along the North Road to its intersection with iferris Street at the top of tho hill This main would be tapped to provide the necessary branch pipes. We would recommend that both these mains (the mne-inch and six-inch) be spiral steel nvettod, pipes. In framing our estimates, we have made allowance for all work necessary to complete the above mama, including works, etc., at the injet, cost .of,, pipes, excavating '-. tnmchesr'fretgiH/, carting," laying 4n§ I jointing, and supplying the necessary valves and hydrants for fire purposes. ] As the pipe line will follow the road for -nearly, tho whole distance, we have ' made no allowance for cost of. land, 1 whidh, however, cannot be a very big item, as the only portions; of land af- i fected are very small and of little ] value. . ' i With^regard to reticulation, we have : not prepared- any definite scheme,, as ' w© are not certain of your borough's J requirements or intentions in this rospect; but we attach prices from which 4 you wiJI be able to arrive at the ap- j proximate cost of reticulating any par- 1 ticular portion of, the borough, pro- j vided tho length and size of pipe required are^ known. The prices given include the" cost of necessary valves 1 and, fire hydrants, and are quoted for both stoneware and cast-iron pipes. It 3 appears that stonoware pipes of three ] and four inch diameter are cheaper ' than cast-iron pipes for reticulation 1 purposes, but from six to nine inches ' diameter the stoneware pipes do not ' favourably compare with spiral steel '> pipes as regards cost. > v Our estimate of the cost of nine and six inch' mains, to Harris Street, as provided in the abov/3 report, is £10,200. y\xe approximate cost of three and four inch pipes as above is as. follows: ! — Four-inch cast-iron pipes. £B*ss per chain; three-inch' ditto, £6 12s per chain. Four-inch stoneware pipes, £7 5s per chaijß; three-inch stone," £6 per chain. A DRAINAGE. With reference to the drainage ayaIfem for. tho portion of- tho borough between McLean Street and Whittaker Street, we have, taken trial levels over these streqts, and also albng McLean Street to the school and along West Quay oppoait© the wharf: Owing to the west portion of the borougli being voxy flat, it will be practically impossible to devise one system to embrace' tho whole streets, and *vo ore of opinion that each street running towards the river will -havo to be provided with, a system of its own. Such beifig the case, we have devised a system for the above aroa which can; at some future date, be extended for the" full length of McLean Street without interferins! with the portion pronosWl to be laM. Our present proposal is to lay a twelve-inch pipe along McLean Street from the school, to « septic tank situated a. few feet on the upstream side of tho present sower outlet near Waitara Bridge. The other streets mentioned above wotiW be drained into the twdlyo-inch pipe by means of sixincb sowers. Allowance has been made in the osliniato for septic tank, sewers, manholes, examining traps, flushing tanks, nnd for 100 connections from tho sewers to property boundaries. Our estimate of the coat of these works is £000. A special meeting of the. Council will he held on Wednesday, > April 22, at 7.30 p.m 4 » to discuss the above report. His Worship the Mayor Avill also wdvo that 5 per cent, be inserted in place of 4 per cent. * interest on t\\u proposed loan of £3000 for street improvements.