LOWER HUTT WATER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3009, 21 February 1917, Page 6

LOWER HUTT WATER SUPPLY

BIG DEVELOPMENTS SUGGESTED. /In the course oi; a report on the im--tfrovements at the waterworks, the engineer of the Lower Hutt Borough Council says:— • "By the present summer the-num-ber of water and sewer connections had' increased-to 1036 and 938 respectively, ■; / <a total of 1972, and the water consumption amounted to 2,635,000 gallons per week on an average, almost double ', ivhat-it was in-'l9ll. -This shows that we are reaching the limit, if' we have not already doner so',., of our present - ."machinery. Assuming that the population connected to the wate.r and drainage schemes is aoout 4000, the above consumption works out at 9-1 callous per head'per day, which is-a very high ~ figure. - i "The urgency, therefore, of. some 1 more modern and up-to-date plant is •■■ evident. The present plant can only do the work'by working nine hours a day, six days a week, and admits of!no margin for repairs or accidents. If , anything goes wrong overtime has to he worked to make up for time lost effecting repairs. "It is proposed to procure one of the most recent' designs in suction gas engines and a thoroughly modern and - efficient pump. These'will require so little attention When they are once i started, that they v and the present machinery, can be worked together -by 1 the'same staff we have. now. : "The Crossley gas generator, procur-'i cd-'.a short time' ago,'it is estimated, will drive an engine that in its turn

will run a turbine pump capable ot.de--livering 1160 gallon* acrjninuto to 160 Jiead. The new - machinery, ■ engine, pump and generator should bo properly housed.. A building 40ft.'long •-' and. 20ft. wide, will be 'required, pro- ; vided with concrete floor and cross girers and other appliances for handling ..' heavy machinery. '■ ' ' - "As the new pump is intended to work in conjunction with the old, and 'as the old has, at times, exhausted the ( capacity of the present wells, the new pump, with its greater capacity, will require more water to supply it. More wells are thus indicated, "i propose to put down three 6in. wells, which, pn account of.their size,-would-have to he bored. For this purpose it is proposed to purchase a strip.of land about loft.'wide and two chains in length in continuation,of the.present wells. This would allow 'of the wells being further apart than are the 'present wells, ■which draw on one another a good deal.No doubt,- if the new wells could be put wider intervals over the whole section, a- more copious supply would be secured, but the connecting pipes would , be much-more costly. ' ,;■ "One other point ought not to be lost sight of, though the'actual carrying out-of any work can wait for a time. There are some houses in.this borough that cannot be supplied by the present scheme, as the reservoir ; 's not high enough. Some of these are ,on the Western Hutt, road, and others up Price's Road, behind Mcllins Station. The water supply of .the Lower Hutt Borough will never be complete until them is a supplementary reservoir at a hieher level than the present one, that will at-the same time sunnly tliK higher zone and provide higher pressure for putting' out fii;es by merely: opening a valve into the low-level mains,- at the same time shutting off the present reservoir. '•- ■ |% "As there are certain streets in ' which houses have-boon built, and are still going upi'and are. also-without water.reticulation, it has- been orooosed to raisn-certain money in this loan' .+.n lay water mains-in tliese streets. •Water pipes and labour are now dear, aml'those have to he taken into account in.fixincr the estimates. - There streets arc: Hume Street, 17A chains in length (tlio length refers to the part not retiniMcd with water') t'Rtillin'g Street,'l7i chains; and part of Pharazvn Street. '