COLLEGE ESTATE DRAINAGE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18018, 5 November 1920, Page 4

COLLEGE ESTATE DRAINAGE.

To the Editor. Sir, —It is quite time, I think, that la protest should be made to the Borjough authorities about the drainage Of most of that part of the College i Estate between ColLge Street, Godwin Crescent, and Cliujton Creek. I This is quite a large area, and up till a few years ago was well drained, as the big watercourse down Bayley’s Lane (now Grey Street) rapidly took away all the surface water. Then the College trustees, in their schemes of development, filled iu this watercourse, and r .so the drains leading into it, with the result that ’ever since the greater part of that [area is waterlogged in winter. Attempts were made to remedy this state of things by opening a 1- v shallow drains into Churton’s Creek, but owing to the level of the creek being but little below the adjoining land, the position was not much improved, iu fact, perhaps it was mad®' — 1 worse, as when the water in Churton’s Cr£ek is high it flows up the drains and floods the surrounding area. After the rains last week there was a vast sheet of water between Grey Street and the creek, and several houses in the vicinity had water all round them. In spite of these obvious drawbacks the College trustees are proceeding merrily with their development plans and opening up streets through this s campy and flooded area, without making any permanent provision for its drainage. Their want of forethought is seen almost at every roint. Recently they had culverts constructed at the ends of Godwin Crescent and Selwyn Cre.’cint. trt is nearly big enough. TheTWrough Engineer in his report on the floods last week stated that there was ample margin at the culverts when * the creek was at its highest, but on Tuesday afternoon last there was but a margin of five inches at one, and at the other the water was fourteen inches above the top. Also at that time a large volume of water was flowing from the creek above the culverts over the adjoining low areas. If this overflow were stopped the culverts would certainly not carry nearly all the water in the creek. The College trustees naturally are feverishly anxious to open up these new streets and sell the leases of their sections at high prices, and have recently hit on a brilliant plan to help them out of their present difficulties. This is to run a drain along the line of Selwyn Crescent to the lowest point of the submerged area to take the flood waters and pour them into the town sewer that runs from St. John’s Hill down Grey Street. This is only a 12in sewer, and it eventually connects with the Wilson Street sewer. I understand that it is admitted by the Borough authorities that these are too small and are already over*axed„ When the extra flood water from the College lands is poured into them a block must undoubtedly take place, and then the sewerage from St. John’s Hill and the higher levels will come up the drains of the householders on the flat. The dire consequences o£ such thing are not pleasant to con- - template. The Borough authorities surely could not have understood the real condition of things on the College Estate when they approved of this scheme and allowed the trustees to drain their lands in this way. The initial blunder of the College trustees was the filling in of the Bayley’s Lane watercourse. It is now the duty of the Borough Council to see that this is rectified. The obvious thing to do is to widen Churton’s Creek and deepen it by at least four feet. This would prevent any overflowing and also drain any surface water from the Collego lands, and make that part of the estale again fairly healthy to live on. The Cqllege Estate is now of enormous value. It comprises 250 acres witbin the Borough, and at presentday valuations cannot certainly be worth less than one-third of a million of money. The trustees are now spending tens of thousands on new buildings at the College. Surely they can afford to spend a few thousands on the reclamation of this swampy area before roading it and opening it up for settlement. Al any rate the Borough Council should insist on it, and refuse till it Is done to take over any new streets made within that area. If not. the Council will afterwards have to tackle the problem and the Borough to foot the bill n.-.s* y for the •ei efit of the trust.—l am, etc., RESIDENT. November 2, 1920.