BOROUGH WATER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 51, 22 February 1944, Page 5

BOROUGH WATER

SUPPLY A MAJOR QUESTION PROBLEM FOR THE FUTURE The growing problem of a substantial and satisfactory water supply for the town of Whakatane was the major point of discussion at the meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council last Monday evening when the possibilities of darning the Maraetotara Stream andi building a reservoir on Hillcrest received' a ver bal battering which should' certainly do much towards creating an interest in the project. Cr Shapley openexl the subject by announcing that the time had arrvicd when very serious consideration should be given to the town's water .supply which was, far from satisfactory in its present state. He mentioned that the darning of the Marac.totara Stream had been frequently suggested by laymen, but engineers did not view it too favourably estimating cautiously that such a scheme would cost £15,000. In his 1 opinion the proposal would not meet the town's demands but it. would relieve the situation. The Mayor said that the. water rights of property owners, lower down the stream would have to be considered. Cr Canning: Arc we wise to consider this business before the new council is elected? The Mayor: It 'is a big matter and 11 think we should start thinking about it now.

Sharp Criticism. Cr Cree'ke criticised the present pumping station which he described as ill-advised and poorly plan-; ned. It was most expensive to maintain it and he urged that if a new scheme were to be introduced that Jt be done thoroughly and placed on a permanent basis irrespective of eost. He considered that an enorinbus amount of water could be impounded in the hills, giving rise to a scheme which would eliminate pumping and. create a supjjly by gravitation. Ill" it cost £30,000', in 30 years it would have lost little more than the maintenance of the present system. He urged that the local engineers be consulted for a preliminary report on the possibilities. Cr Shapley said it was a job for experts. The more it was 1 spoken about however the more the public realised the position. Cr Canning took exception to Cr Creeke's criticism of the old council which had installed the present system. Tliey had sought and acted upon expert advice and for himself he would rather spend a few hundred pounds on a new pump where water was in abundance, than to engage on ail experiment which might or might not be successful. Burden on Ratepayers; Cr Sullivan said he sympathised with the Mayor in having a major question like this on his hands, j which if carried out, in a big way would definitely increase the. rates substantially. There was also the sewerage question. However lie agreed with Cr Shapley that the Maraetotara scheme, could only be considered a .supplementary venture to the present, supply. He felt sure that Whakatane's; main suppljv would always 'come from the river. The whole position had to be. looked into during the next twelve months and he could see no harm in getting an engineer to report, on it. |lf for instance another hundred homes demanded the. water service | how then would the Borough react. The Mayor: How we arc going to ( finance the water and sewerage schemes with the increased hospi- | lal rate is worrying me. The problem is the more difficult in view iof the business section being so heavily rated and the residential area so light. Cr Armstrong moved that an engineer's report be obtained. The Mayor said that little could be done at the present time but he would like all councillors to make themselves conversant with the position in readiness to debate it later on.