MAIN BURSTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 839, 10 June 1910, Page 2

MAIN BURSTS.

REDUCED WATER SUPPLY. ARGUMENT FOR DUPLICATION. Scon after three o'clock yesterday morning a serious break occurred in the Wninui water main near Eocky Point, about a mile on the Wellington side of Perone. A large quantity of earth slipped down the hillside, and the city en : gineer, Mr. W. Morton, who paid an early visit lo the scene, fears that several of the pipes are flattened right out. The overflow had caused a small lake in the vicinity by the time the supply was turned off yesterday morning, but there was nothing to iadicato the escape of water with velocity, so that it is probable a considerable length of the main is damaged. The ground which slipped was composed mostly of hard rocks. It is ospectod that about, fifteen chains of piping will have to be relaid, and this worif wiil require eight or nine days at least. A beginning was made yesterday morning witli the repairs, and arrangements have boen made so that some of the men now engaged on the railway duplication works may be employed on the work, if their assistance is required. Effects of Hill-cutting. The mishap afford; another illustration of theurgent necessity for duplication of the W'ainui main, for the carrying out of which work a scheme and estimate of cost were laid before tho City Council by Mr. Morton. The danger of accidents occurring to the present main has been enhanced by the cutting away of the hillsides for road-widening and railway duplication purposes, which has increased the liability to landslips at many points. Considerable anxiety is felt lest further falls of earth should occur, and do damage to the main, and the possibility is increased by a continuance of wet weather. When tho main is repaired it will be relaid for a distance of 15 chains along the new road, instead of the. old one, the new road being further out from the bill and practically safe from euch descents. When the main is duplicated, also, the new main will take the. course of the new road.

The present position is that the city is entirely dependent for its water supply upon th/i Juu'ori, reservoir. If the Wainui supply is unavailable for eight days, great drain will be made upon the Karori reservoir, which is not at present full, but the wet weather which is bad for the main is good for the reservoir, and it is expected that the supply will meet even such a prolonged demand. Tho principal disadvantage of the present position arises from the diminished pressure. On an ordinary day, with the Wainui reservoir in use, there would be Mb. more pressure to the square inch than is obtainable from Karori—l2olb. instead of 80—which means that water would be supplied 100 feet higher than in the present crcumstances.

Warning to Householders. I Kelbiirno and Brooklyn consumers will suffer no disadvantage, because the Karori supply. will be pumped up instead of that from Wainui, but consumers in both city and suburbs should take care to see that their taps are not left running by any inadvertence, and that • there, is no unnecessary waste. The Mayor, interviewed on the position yesterday, emphnsised the necessity for husbanding the supply of water. People on the high levels, he said, might experience a shortage of water for over a weak. It behoved all people on the lower levels to be sparing and to show consideration for their fellowcitizens who were not so favourably located as far as the city water supply was concerned. During the night all the assistance possible in the.way of supplying water to the higher levels would bo given by the city authorities. The Mayor suggested that those people resilient on the high levels who possess tubs might draw off at night sufficient water for the day's use. Scheme for Duplication. In his recent report to tho council, tho city engineer (Mr. Morton) made the following recommendations:— . (1) Duplication (with 21in. pipes) of tie mniu between the AVaiwetu Hills and the city, to be taken in hand at the earliest possible opportunity. (2) In connection with the duplication, provision should bo made for. the construction of a distributing reservoir capable of holding, say, 2,000,000 gallons, on a suitable site eloss to the city. (3) The existing 30in. main 'should l>3 carried over the Wairiui Stream on bridges, instead of through the s-ireain as at present. The duplication should consist of a 21in. diameter main connected with a suitable junction at the outlet of the (unne! on the Petone side of the Waiwetu Hills. The new main should be carried through Petone, along the Hurt I lioad, Thorndon Quay, Lambton Quay, Bowen Street, Wellington Terrace, Ghuziiee Street, Willis Street, and Nairn Street, to a distributing reservoir above j-fhe Nairn Street' reserve, at a level of about 300 ft. above the sea. Under the new system the mains supplying the city from Waintii and the distributing reservoir would be capable of delivering 6,950,000 gallons daily, arid in addition the distributing reservoir would be holding 2,000,000 gallons in case of injury to either the new or existing mam. The daily discharge of the 21in. main is estimated at about 2,700,000 gallons, with a pressure at the centre of the city equal to 300 ft. head (1291b.). Mr. Morton estimated the total cost of the work at «879,GE0. The report, which was submitted on \pril 20, hai not yet been definitely dealt with by the City Council.