CITY WATER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 84, 3 January 1935, Page 6

CITY WATER SUPPLY

Soundness of Proposed Comprehensive Scheme

LESSON OF THE DRY SPELL (By H.P.) The lesson of the dry spell of the past two months will not be lost on the city authorities. As indicated in the leading columns of yesterday's “Dominion,” the sound practicability of the major water supply scheme for the whole of the Hutt Valley and Wellington City, put forward during the regime as Mayor of Mr. G. *A. Troup, is likely to become more obvious with the recurrence -of such periods, together with the increase in settlement of the rich lands of the Hutt Valley. In the meantime the city authorities have taken steps to secure an auxiliary supply to that at present furnished by the faithful Wainui and Orongorongo streams. The tardy process of securing such a supply has been caused by objections lodged by the Hutt and Petoue Borough Councils, who hold the view that any, great draw off from‘the underground supplies in the valley would weaken the upward flow in. those boroughs, even though the takeoff point be nearer the sea-front than any settlement in those boroughs. Scientifically that is possible, as the greater the draw off at the lowest point the more rapid would be the underground flow over inland areas, possibly lessening the pressure on some of the bores. What is significant, and rather heartening, however, is the statement made by the city engineer, Mr. G. A. Hart, a few days ago to the effect that the long dry spell had not affected the pressure at the test bores (for artesian water) made at Gear Island, immediately on the I’etone side of the Hutt pipe bridge. It is from that point that the engineer proposes to pump this underground flow into the mains from Wai-' nui and Orongorongo. Machinery to do this will arrive this year, and it is anticipated that by next summer Wellington will have an auxiliary supply, a supply which may not be needed at all if the rainfall is fairly generous, but which will be a standby in case of long dry spells being experienced. Money Not Mis-spent. , Nevertheless, the aiiiount of money expended on getting out the voluminous report on the Little Akatarawa, Whakatiki, Akatarawa and Puketahi schemes —the streams which unite in the Hutt River, just above Upper Hutt —has not .been mis-spent. The time must come when the Hutt Valley will carry as large a population as Wellington City, and when the city itself will spread itself beyond the existing confines of settlement. It is conceivable that the, mere supplementation of the existing supply -by artesian water may not suffice for the largely increased demands, so that Wellington and adjoining boroughs will be forced to adopt the major scheme. To that end the Government presented the city with some 70,000 acres of land in the Akatarawa district. This is being gradually afforested under the supervision of the forest officer, Mr. A. N. Perham, on the assumption that it is wise to clothe these partially bare hills "with trees in such a way that not only willflvaluable forest areas be created, but the land will then-be to fulfil its: proper function as a vital part of the watershed which will one day supply a greater Wellington with an essential to life and health.

The preliminary work done in Mr. Troup’s time, in connection with the big water supply scheme may be regarded as a task well done. Full reports on the flow of streams at all times of the year, the route of pipe line, contour maps, and the location of dam sites are all on record. Everything waits on the growth of the city, and the capacity of the citizens to bear the cost of a sch.eme which will furnish a fresh open-air gravity water supply for all time.