FAIRLIE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20963, 16 February 1938, Page 4

FAIRLIE

WATER SUPPLY AND i SEWERAGE POSITION MORE DEFINITE i A water supply and sewerage scheme i lor Fairlie became more definite on > Monday night when a meeting of tlie i Citizens’ Association decided to ask , the Mackenzie County Council to approach the Government Leans Board for permission to raise the necessary finance. It is anticipated that a substantial subsidy will be obtained from the Public Works Department, but as that is still indefinite, permission will be asked to raise a loan of £17,000. An additional £3OOO to provide for connections was made the subject of another motion passed by the meeting. The scheme adopted was a pipe line supply from Three Springs, and a brief report supplied by the consulting engineer (Mr H. G. Royds) state J that for the complete scheme, including sewerage and recticulation. labour costs would amount to £6900, while material and other costs would total £14.000. Labour costs will, it is expected. be reduced considerably by an unemployment subsidy. Mr W. A. B. Morton (vice-president), was in the chair. The secretary (Mr D. Jeune), said the consulting engineer was working on the assumption that there was an even grade from Fair lie to Three Springs. A three-inch pipe increased to four, would be required from the source to a small breaking-down pressure tank. From there, a seven-inch pipe leading into an eight-inch size would be necessary. The estimates did not include the reticulation of places outside the Fairlie area, and applications could later be considered from outside consumers. In his opinion, it was advisable for the meeting to state its preference for the Three Springs pipe line. He did not think a race would be any cheaper in the long run. A pipe line would require less upkeep than any other scheme. The ordinary life of pipes was put at 30 years, but he thought that that, in the case of Three Springs water, was a very conservative estimate. What shortened the lif of pipes was encrustation, and that would not occur. The supply of W'ater available was enough not only for South Canterbury, but for New Zealand, and what was more, better water could not be obtained anywhere. Pipe Line Adopted In moving that the meeting should adopt a pipe line scheme from Three Springs, Mr J. Braddick said he had gone into the matter very carefully, an?, did not think anything else was worth considering. More assistance would be obtained, he thought, if <he scheme went ahead as soon as possible. Mr H. Carlton expressed the opinion that the scheme would be cheap at an annual charge of £5 a house, and the secretary had shown that the charges should be much less than that. Two hundred houses at £5 each would return £lOOO, which would pay five per cent, on £20,000. “If we receive no grant from the Government,” he said, "I can see no reason why the ratepayers should turn it down.” He later suggested that as water was more im- | portant than sewerage, the two proposals should be made separate issues for a poll.

Mr Braddick said his original motion had been that water and. sewerage should be investigated separately, but unless sewerage were installed no saving would be effected. There would still be water race and sanitary charges to pay, and. therefore, a water supply would be an additional charge. Another question asked by Mr Carlton was whether house drainage would be taken in the sewerage pipes. Mr Jeune replied that he had from the very first told the consulting engineer that a sewerage system which would not carry household drainage would be of no use, and he had received an assurance that such a system had been adopted. Probably it would not be advisable to allow storm water to go down the sewage pipes, because sudden pressure might cause damage, but that would not present any difficulties. The consulting engineer had stated that the whole scheme was remarkably cheap, and that there was none cheaper anywhere in New Zealand