Maketu Residents Seek Water Supply

Te Puke Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 49, 1 July 1949, Page 2

Maketu Residents Seek Water Supply

PETITION TO TAURANGA COUNTY COUNCIL ENGINEER TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBILITIES The engineer (Mr N. G. Hansen) is to approach a geological surveyor to obtain data and information relevant to tile possibility of supplying the Maketu township with water, and is to report back to the Tauranga County Council on the project. This decision was made at the meeting of the council held on Monday, as the result of the receipt of a petition from residents and property owners in the local-

ity. The petition, which, contained signatures covering 87 homes or properties at Maketu, asked that the council consider the question of supplying the township with an adequate water supply, and the signatories agreed to pay any rates which may be struck if the petition was granted. Only one European resident had declined to sign the petition it was stated, and three or four Maori families. An additional 21 property owners not at present living on their land had also intimated their desire for a water supply. Every person who did not at present have a Supply of water, had signed, including some persons on the Arawa Trust Board line. The County Clerk (Mr E. M. Fox) said he felt-that the. council would have slight prospects of obtaining approval :o raise a loan to carry out a test bore n the region. “The Loans Board is reuctan.t to approve such loans.” he comnented, in suggesting that the council >r residents should meet this expense and apply for a loan to carry out the actual work of reticulation.

Cr A. C. Wright pointed out that an existing private bore had cost money for testing purposes. He understood it was 179 feet deep and that the one the council contemplated putting downwould need to be about 330 feet. After Cr W. F. McClinchie had suggested that the existing bore, one owned by Mr Takuira Mita, could foe used for testing purposes, Mr Wright expressed the opinion that it might toe worth while considering enlarging this and erecting a large" concrete reservoir into which the water could be pumped. He understood that land could readily be acquired for the purposes of water reticulation. The council resolved that the engineer should investigate the position as stated earlier.—-B.P.T,