THE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 128, 20 July 1880, Page 2

THE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

There has been no end of talk about the Borough water scheme, and quid mines have got it quite pat that it will be many mouths before a drop of the much-coveted water finds its way to the’ 1 floodgate at the corner of the Domain facing West street. We are not sanguine that the coming down of the water to the street channels, is only a matter of a few hours, but to say it will not reach town before many months is just as wide of the mark on the other side. It was never intended that the scheme should be one large enough to drown the township, and all that is wanted of it is as much as will keep up a good flow in the channels. But, before it can supply the channels, the water has first to fill up the many holes in the gully that winds through the Domain, and, having done so, and the stream still kept up, the overflow will be ample for the town. Judging by the rate of progress the stream is now making, and making full allowance for the absorption that must go on, and also for the broad sheets of water that have here and there to accumulate along the route, we shall not be disappointed if we have no water in the channels for three weeks or a month yet ;' but to say we will have none before Christmas—as has been said—is taking altogether too gloomy a view of matters. It will doubtless be remembered that when the millrace from which the supply is taken-was cut, between three weeks and a month elapsed from the first turning on of the water to the date of its reaching the mill, and some of those whose organs of “hope” were not so fully developed were anything but sanguine that the water would ever reach the mill-wheel. But the millrace was kinder to those people than their own fears, and an abundant stream has never ceased to flow. We are confident that the same thing will happen with our water supply, and, even with the single nine-inch pipe, which at the upper corner of the Domain measures out to us our quantity, all that the concern requires is simply to be let alone. The water will come down right enough, and it will not be long before we have an ample stream that will supply all the wants that the engineer calculated on catering for. It will do more. In one or two nooks of the gully, well hidden from view, and out of the usual track of pedestrians, from five to eight feet of water will accumulate when the course is full, and these holes may with little trouble and expense bo converted into usual and safe swimming baths, a want that is much felt in the summer months. A walk up the gully to the back of the cricket ground will show the traveller how easily very successful efforts at ornament could be made, that, were the scheme to be absolutely permanent, would certainly be worth attempting. We may perhaps be considered a little visionary for saying so, but we believe a fleet of light canoes will yet be seen upon the ornamental waters in the Ashburton Domain.