BOROUGH SEWERAGE.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 961, 29 June 1920, Page 6

BOROUGH SEWERAGE.

EXTENT AND NATURE OE THE PROPOSALS.

A NECESSARY PUBLIC SERVICE

The Te Awamutu Borough Council, after many months of negotiation and a great deal of official communication, has approved a scheme for sanitation within the borough, and places proposals before the ratepayers at a loan authority poll to be held on 14th July. In explaining the present proposals it is necessary to breifly traverse the history of the negotiations in order that the present position may be understood. The Need of Sewerage. For years past councillors have recognised the urgent need of improved methods of sanitation. The existing service—out of date and wholly unsatisfactory at the best of times —is shockingly inadequate to the needs of any well-ordered and healthy community. The equipment such as it is is in a state of disrepair, giving rise to dissatisfaction and frequent complaint. The difficulty in maintaining an adequate system is ever a problem before the Council, and the only real isolut'ion is contained in proposals for modern methods such as are now put forward. In recognition of these things the Council, even before the war had ended, set about the consideration of plans. Mr H. F. Toogood was retained to collect .the necessary • engineering data and prepare plans of the work which would prove adequate to present and future requirements. Various Proposals.

In the consideration the gradients of the borough and the disposal effluent were important factors. It was necessary also to proceed in such a way that any initial works would be capable of later-day extension, so that, ultimately, no part of the borough would he denied the services. A proposal was considered to confine the flush-pan system to the congested areas only for a few years but against this there were many real disadvantages. Firstly, the Public Health Department decreed against large . outflows into the slow-running streams about the town. Secondly, the gradients were such as required provision to be made for large sections of work to be done in conjunction with each other ,and finally it was not moneysaving to have any system which left the necessity of maintaining the existing services for the out-lying areas. The latter consideration alone was such as doubled the expenditure, besides which there would have been no satisfaction for the majority of the people. Approval of Plans. Having prepared plans of the proposed work the Council had to get the sanction of the public health authorities. It was insisted on that the outflow should be at a point below the junction of the Mangahoe and Mangapiko Streams; any considerable discharge into either of these streams was not permitted. After a good deal of official inquiry the plans were approved. and it is on these plans that the people will determine the fate of the proposals at a loan authority poll on 14th July. Proposals Outlined. The engineer’s report covering the proposals is necessarily a somewhat lengthy one, embracing a great many technical details. It is first explained that the survey has disclosed the fact .that the difference in fall Is very slight between the Mangapiko Stream past the railway and the gullies up into the town. For this reason it would be impossible to pass sewerage by gravitation from, say, Sloane Street to Mangapiko Street. It became necessary, therefore, to either adopt a series of septic tank's or to instal pumping plants .to lift the sewerage and so enable it to gain the necessary fall and gravitate to a septic tank below the railway. Dr R. H. Makgill, of the Public Health Department, following an inspection. agreed to allow a small septic tank to be put in on the Mangapiko Stream, but disapproved of any other septic tbiik discharging within the town boundaries. Therefore it is proposed:— (1) A separate system leading to a small septic tank on the banks of the Mangahoe Stream from Park Road. (2) A pumping system dealing with all connections gravitating with the drainage reserve and lifting the sewerage into the main gravitation outlet sewer.

(3) A gravitation system for the portion of the borough west of the drainage reserve. The last two systems are not capable of being divided, as each is dependent upon the same outlet and septic tank. The main gravitation outlet sewer will commence at the east end of Mangapiko Street and will terminate at a septic tank on the west side of the railway line. It will be placed at the lowest level possible, with a view to serving the greatest area.

Practically I lie Whole Area. Practically the whole of the borough is brought within the scheme. The report proceeds:— (1) There are certain areas on the Cemetery Road with only a few isolated houses which cannot be served without additional pumping, and they have been omitted. (2) The portion of the borough in the Puniu watershed cannot be dealt with in the system. It lias only a few isolated houses at present, and when the time arrives lo sewer this portion a separate system can be installed leading into the Puniu watershed. Untiles and Flushing. Excepting the Park Road system, all of the sewers will be laid at a gradient that will cleanse itself without Hushing. The Park Road sewer cannot be laid within this limit, and special precautions by means of an automatic flushing tank are provided to keep this sewer clean. Ventilation of sewers throughout are provided for, and they are all to be laid on a bed of weak-mix concrete. The sewer levels have been determined to allow a reasonable depth for connections to the opposite sections. „ The pumping plants will be driven by electric motors and automatically controlled. Duplicate pumps are provided. so that there may be no ris! of breakdown.

Ample provision, to the satisfaction of the public health authorities, lias been made for the treatment of the sewerage at the points of discharge. The main septic tank is suitable for a population of one thousand persons, and can be readily duplicated as the necessity arises. The sewers are laid with a capacity to serve a population of 5625 persons. House connections will be brought from the sewer up to the footpath line, and where required financial assistance will be given to enable the connections on privaate lands to be completed.