KOURARAU PIPE LINE.

Wairarapa Age, 15 June 1927, Page 5

KOURARAU PIPE LINE.

EXPERTS’ VIEWS ON LIME DEPOSITS. PIPES TO BE CLEANED OUT. In view of the frictional, losses in the pipe line at the Kourarau plant, tho Wairarapa Power Board, on the suggestion of Mr T. Jordan, then a member of the board, solicited the aid of the Cawthron Institute in solving the problem of the lime deposits in the pipe line of the lower' plant. Replies have since been received from tho experts at the institute and one of the main points brought out was that although aeration of the waler caused lime to precipitate, this was held in suspension for a considerable time and did not immediately deposit. In the case of the lower dam the aeration took place previous to the water entering the dam and was not held in the dam long enough to deposit there. The ease of the upper dam was different. The water was not aerated previous to entering the dam and, further, was held in the dam for a considerable period. The Secretary-Manager (Mr G. Brown) informed the board yesterday that to further test the theory, tho upper line had been closed and the steel pipe had been examined. It was found that although the pipe lino had been in use for over two years there was no lime deposit in it. There was a kind of vegetable slime which would not in any way increase the frictional looses in the pipe. This, he said, was satisfactory news, and should help in arriving at a solution of the trouble in the lower pipe line. The engineer (Mr H. B. Keenan) stated that arrangements were in hand to shut down the bottom plant and clean tho pipe line during the Christmas holidays. He setimated that, given good weather, and working twentyfour hours a day, the pipe could bo cleaned in three days.