CITY WATER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2851, 16 August 1916, Page 5

CITY WATER SUPPLY

ENLARGEMENT OF THE . CATCH; MENT AREA. '■'The. one thing necessary to make the water supply of this City: safe for generations to come," said the Mayor yesterday, referring to the reservation by the Government of the Orongaronga basin for water supply purposes for tho City. This basin, or valley, is across a ridge of hills beyond the Wainui basin, from .'which: Wellington now draws its water. For the present the Wainui supply suffioes, but in dry'times even now; precautions havo to be taken to prevent the wasto of water. And, of'course, Wellington will grow steadily, perhaps rapidly, until one day it is a. very big • City, consuming much more water than it needs' to-day.

Having this in mind, the City Council some time ago asked the Prime Minister to reserve the: area known as-the Orongaronga basin for r a catchment,area for the City water supply. This request the Government has , granted, and the cession of an area of 5263 acres is gazetted. The scheme of the City Engineer, which has already been approved by the council, is to link up the Orongaronga Valley with the Wainui-o-mata reservoir by means of a tunnel through the hill. By this means the catchment area and the supply of water can be doubled, and tho total estimated cost i 3 only between. £20,000, and £25,000. The Mayor said that the City Council appreciated the value of -the concession, and was grateful accordingly to the Prime Minister and the Government for having given the City a secure title to this area. •