WELLINGTON’S WATER AND DRAINAGE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 98, 19 January 1935, Page 14

WELLINGTON’S WATER AND DRAINAGE

Year’s Work Reviewed COMPLETION OF SERVICE RESERVOIRS In a review of the work of the past year, the chairman of the Works Committee of the Wellington City Council,' Mr. T. Forsyth, pays particular attention to the city’s water supplies. “Financed out of the 1920 waterworks loan diversion,” says Mr. Forsyth, “three large additions' were made to the service reservoirs in the suburbs of Wadestown, Brooklyn and Karori, 150,000 gallons additional' being provided at Wadestown, 250,000 gallons at Brooluyn, and 350,000 gallons at Karori. These reservoirs were all constructed under contract, the attendant rising mains being laid by the waterworks branch. These reservoirs have proved invaluable during the dry weather period, which the city is still experiencing, and without them it would have been a matter of considerable difficulty to provide an, uninterrupted supply to the various districts they serve. The new Wadestown reservoir is fed by gravity, and has had the effect also of reducing the pumping charges over the Wadestown area by some 75 per cent. In addition to the above, a pressure-maintaining tank, complete with feeding main, was constructed in Fortification Road, above Scorching Bay, by the waterworks staff for the purpose of improving the. conditions of flow in 1 that area, and.at the present time the duplication of the Seatoun Heights reservoir i§ being carried out under contract by the Fletcher Construction Company. This work should be completed within the next month or so. . , < Independence of Waimu. “Forming portion of the construction scheme sanctioned under the loan diversion, an 18-inch feeding main is to be laid from the Karori reservoir down Aro Street and along Webb Street to connect with the city's main feeders from Willis Street to Tory Street. The purpose of this main when completed is to render the city independent for limited periods of the Wainui main system. The first portion of this work, which, owing to the number of services already in the congested streets, has been carried out by the waterworks branch under unusually difficult conditions, is nov complete between Tory Street and Willis Street, and has already had the effect of improving pressure conditions in the Newtown and suburban areas. Work is now proceeding on the extensions of this main up Aro Street towards the waterworks tunnel, running from the Karori reservoir, and the new pipes have already been laid through the tunnel, For this main, special steel flexible jointed pipes, lined, with cement concrete, have been employed. These were made by the Hume Steel Company at Its • Lower Hutt works. The main throughout its whole length is laid on solid ground, and will form an invaluable protection to the city’s water supply in the event of dislocation of the Wainui system due to earth movements. Th» 18-inch, for part ofMts length, takes the place of an old 10-inch and 12-inch pipe line which has been in position since 1872, when the city was served entirely by water from Karori. The bld mains, which were very badly encrusted, are being taken up, cleaned, anfbconcretelined, and will form portion of a subsequent supplementary main out towards the eastern suburbs. weather. "During the present year it is hoped that finality will be reached in regard to the acquisition pf land required for the development of the auxiliary supply of artesian water from Gear Island and that this supply will be available before next summer. Sewerage Development. “So fgj" as the sewerage is concerned, a complete scheme was installed during the year to serve, the Homebush and Cashmere areas ’ on which development has recently been commenced. Work on a supplementary main sewer line from the Karori West School up to a point opposite the old Council Chambers was commenced during the year and is now nearly completed. This work was carried out under special relief provision. The major sewerage work which was commenced toward the end of the year was the extension of the outfall main from the septic tank site iu the Karori Valley through some four miles of rocky gorge to a sea outfall In Cook Strait. Portion of this work is through very rough country, but very good progress has been made so far by the contractor for the work, Mr. M. G. Templeton. This pipe line consists of 15in. spun concrete pipes supplied by the Wellington Concrete Pipe Company, and where stream crossings aro involved, of Hume steel pipes, concretelined. Stornijvater Drainage. “Regarding stormwater drainage, a large amount of minor construction work has been carried out. The most important job has been the laying of a main stormwater drain by arrangement with the Railway Department through the site of the new railway station yard fo take stormwater drainage partly from the railway property itself, but also to act as a relief to the area

in front of .the Government Buildings which for many years has been regularly flooded in heavy rainfall. The portion of this drain through the Railway Department’s property and into the harbour has already been completed, and a commencement will be made in a week or so with the extension back from the new railway station to the Government Buildings. A minor work has been the reticulation of the Roseneath area with an efficient stormwater drainage system. This work has been carried out by the corporation’s own workmen, and is more than half completed. When finished it should remove many of the troubles which have existed in this area for many years. “Investigations were completed during the year regarding a scheme of stormwater relief for portions of the city area where flooding for some years has regularly taken place. This work will be incorporated in loan proposals shortly to be placed before the ratepayers.”