UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13660, 31 July 1908, Page 6

UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE

A MODIFICATION APPROVED. Mr Cuthbert, engineer to the Cliristchurch Drainage Board, and consulting engineer ■to - the Tiuxaru Borough Council, arrived in Timaru yesterday morning (coming down from Lyttelton in the s.s. Arawa) for the purpose of looking into Mr Marchant's proposal to modify the character of tie southern intercepting sewer, by making it larger than originally planned arid approved by Mr Cuthbert on behalf of the Council. Mr Cuthbert accompanied ilr Marchant over the ground in the mbrning, and in the evening the two engineers met the Borough Council, in committee, to discuss the matter. There were present the Mayor and Councillors Hawkey, Sealey, RothweU,. Schmidt, Harney, Sattert-hwaite and Atuliin, and the conference lasted a couple of hours. The meeting, as already mentioned, . was in committee, but the Mayor made: the following statement for publication after ihe conference closed. The councillors were present and endorsed the statement-. •'

■ The purpose for which Mr Cutlibert had been asked' to visit Timaru, said Mr Craigie, was to inquire into and report upon an alteration which Mr Marchant proposed to make in the intercepting sewer between George', street and the Butts. The original plan . proposed tu make this, line of 12-inch and 15-inch pipes with a fall of 1 in 1200, terminating in a septic tank at the Butts! • Mr Marchant proposed to substitute , a larger conduit of reinforced concrete, with a fall df 1 in 650, terminating in a, small liquefying and discharging tank (not a septic tank). Mr Marchant read a full description 1 of hip proposal, which he had submitted to' Mr Cuthbert; and added that he had explained it. to Dr Mason, chief health officer, who approved of it from a sanitary point of view. Mr Cuthbert said that he Lad gone very carefully into the proposal, and he thought it an improvement on the original, inasmuch as the fall would ba increased, and a penstock at Queen street would prevent any back flow beyond that point at high water. , In his opinion, it'was" a good 'scheme, and it had .his full approval. ' In reply to questions by councillors as to whether any nuisance could be caused at the outlet, Mr Cuthbert said he thought. not; he felt certain there would not; but if a nuisance' did manifest itself, a ' septic tank could be provided. Councillor# Hawkey and. Harney inquired whether the ■ natural outlets' coiba hoc ba i.wa [i.e., making separate discharges info the sea opposite the main" gullies] and both Mr Marchant and Mr Cuthbert said that was out of the question; iii would nob be satisfactory, would be more expensive (to make and maintain efficient outlets) and would be a departure from the scheme authorised by the ratepayers and by the Drainage Act. The engineers' said .that the altered plan, would be a little cheaper than the original, but that; was noii a point to be insisted on in comparison, with other advantages presented by what both engineers spoke of as the "tank sewer." Mr Cuthberfa will submit a raport oil - the proposal in writing. Speaking of related matters. ,Mr Cuthbert strongly advocated the use of 4-inch pipes for "connections," and 3-inch "soil pipts" and _ instanced casc-s in C 'hnVjtchurch where pipes of these ; sizes had proved sufficient under heavy duties. He stated thati lie had been round to examine -the work completed and in progress and that'

he was very well, pleased ..with the way the work was being done. He .spoke'of it as " admirable," . saying-that - the joints were being'well made, and that Timaru was getting , a first-class ' job;- the . supervision was'excellent, . and he'had never seen better work ■of the kind. .Mr-. Cuthbert did- offer one criticism. He.; thoughtl the stone man-hole covers were very heavy; in Christchurch iron covers are -used-• ■ • Mr Marchanb:was asked it was not allowable .to make connection.-? , with the sewers already . done; - and, he replied that ha could not recommend it ab present. ... ■