WATER SUPPLY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1892, 17 March 1880, Page 3

WATER SUPPLY.

TO THB EDITOB OP THK PRESS. Sib, —When at Geneva, some years since, I noticed that the river Rhone was need to lift water for the city, and it occurred to me that the same thing could he done here on a Bmaller Bcale. At the time that competitive designs wore invited I strongly urged upon a firm of engineors here that they Bhould send in such a proposal, hut they preferred some other scheme. I have no desire to dabble in engineering. I make the following suggestions only in the hope that they may be of some service to the city if worked out by a qualified man. The Waimakariri scheme entails so much additional taxation that it cannot prudently be undertaken for many years. I trust that it will be laid aside for the present, on the ground of expense. For the same reason I am glad to notice that the costly, and less excusable town hall idea is likely to be shelved by the good sense of the ratepayers. The latest-proposal reopecting the liane's milldam being used for pumping purposes, involves its perpetuation af ler the existing rights have expired, which architects and sanitary engineors consider objectionable on the score of the higher level of saturation induced thereby ; while the alternative idea of cutting a race between the College and Hospital bridges, would only yield some 3ft. of fall, and would require the abstraction of an immense body of water between those points. A greater power can surely be obtained, with far lobb expenditure of water, by carrying a pipe of large diameter between the two points on the river of the College bridge and the Armagh street bridge respectively, along the line of Armagh street, being only some four or five chains longer than the cutting suggested by Mr Blackwell, and yielding about Bft or 9ft fall. The city ground at the latter point could doubtless be utilised for a pumping station. It is not unlikely that the river water could be effectively filtered through covered filter beds placed in the Park near the Observatory, but if engineers decide that it cannot be done, artesian wells can be sunk noar the river there or in town, whichever may be thought most desirable. It would be necessary to carry the pipes across the river at the two points named, but that can be done without difficulty. I would propose at present only to provide for fire prevention, flushing, street watering, and salo by meter at such rates as would deter from waste. People will probably continue to drink artesian well water, whether we have a pressure supply or not, and our greatest wants are for the two first named purposes. Surely the reticulation of the city could be done with more economy than is proposed, in view of the Waimakariri supply not being likely to be brought in for a good many years. An engineer is apt to_ forget that the accumulation of compound interest renders it desirable to calculate whether it would not be cheaper to re-lay with larger pipes, when and where it may be necessary, after the expiration of such a term as the temporary service may be expected to continue in use. I have the s'rong impression that it would be advantageous to arrarge the reticulation vipon a more modest scale than proposed by Mr Blackwell. Here I leave the subject, in the hope that some engineer will show that the city need not Bpend anything like the proposed £BO,OOO in order to obtain a very fair water supply with sufficient pressure. Youra, Sec,, L. S. D.