ARAPUNI WORKS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17916, 11 January 1930, Page 7

ARAPUNI WORKS.

PROVISION OF SAFEGUARDS COIViM!EWT- IN TARANAKI. A Taranaki paper says: The announcement that an additional safeguard to the A rap uni hydro-electric station has been completed should greatly relieve the mind of the public in regard to that huge undertaking. Of all the State’s water-power enterprises Arapuni has been the subject of the fiercest discussion. Engineers, economists and politicians have expressed themselves strongly both for and against the scheme. Originally a work to be carried out by contract in its entirety, differences of opinion between :th 6 Public Works Department’s engineers and the contractors in regard to the power-house site led to a portion of the contract being taken over by the State, but whatever the exact cost of the alteration to the contract it has never been made public. All that is known is that the cost of the station when completed will be considerably more, than the original estimate, So far'the faith of the State engineers in their choice of a site for the power-house appears to have been justified, but until the cost of making it suitable is known it is impossible to say whether the contractors- were justified in the repudiation of responsibility for a portion of the work they had undertaken. ; Since the station began to function, erosion of the rocks below the spillway has given fresh cause for anxiety lest it should ultimately undermine the dam itself. At one time it seemed likely that the station would have to be shut down while the artificial lake above the dam was lowered and measures were taken to prevent further erosion. The engineers mow. report that by tunnelling they are able to draw off sufficient water to reduce the volume pouring over the spillway, and thus enable preventive measures to be taken with out the station being closed down. A further advantage of the tunnel is that, the strain on the dam at any time can be relieved to meet any special circumstances and thus add considerably to the security of the whole undertaking. In view of the growing demand for current from Arapuni any hold-up of operations would be very serious, though, of course, safety must be the first consideration. It is satisfactory to note that this consideration has been given due weight without the necessity of closing down.