DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2194, 8 March 1881, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

The usual fortnightly meeting of tho Drainage Board was held at the offices of the Board, Hereford street, at half-past three o'clock yesterday afternoon. Present—Mr B. J. S. Harman in the chair ; Messrs White, Hall, Ouff, J. E. Brown, and Hobbs. The report of the engineer was read, as follows : The works under contract are making fair progress, both on the South belt and in the Drain road. The main sewer has now reached the East belt, being a length of 3000 f t; from this point the work can be pursued forward towards Kilmore street in a north direction, and also towards the South belt, and the construction of these intercepting sewers will thus be going on at three places at once. Plans are being prepared for laving the iron pipes to the Sandhills, also for outlet sewer to drain the irrigated land, and plans for laying out and levelling the area of land on which sewage is to be distributed. These works will be difficult and costly, on account of the running sand and the roughness of the sandhills, which must be levelle 1 before the sewage cin be distributed, and for this purpose I propose to use at first only about forty acres, which must be roughly levelled and underdrained. The portion selected is the most level and smooth to be found on the reserve.

In laying the iron sewage pipes it must pass through U.S. 347 at a depth of about 2ft below the surface, I think it will be necessary for the Board to acquire the right to lay the pipe on this section, but I do not think that any special rights for obtaining access to it will be necessary. Part of the road between B.S. 326 and 1144 is so low that the top of the pipe would be at the surface, and if the pipe were laid in the centre of the road about 1600 ft of it must be raised and reshingled so as to cover the pipe. I think _it would be more convenient for the properties bounding this road if the pipe _ were laid at the side of the road, and if objections were made to narrowing it the Board should acquire a strip of, say, sft. wide, which would be raised so as to cover the pipe, beS be used as a footpath if wanted. It would depend on the cost to acquire this strip of land whether it would be most expensive to place the pipe in the centre of the road and raise the road to cover it, or to place it at the side and cover it with a raised footpath, but the other method would be most satisfactory. If a satisfactory arrangement could be made with the owners of land to take the pipa through B.S. 1144 a saving of length of about 500 ft. would be effected, and this line is to be preferred on that account if the Board can acquire cheaply the right to pass through the properties, which are B.S. 1144, 4675, 7469. In regard to Mr E. Barker's request to have the bottom of the drain through his property shovelled out I find that a considerable amount of silt has accumulated on the bottom, thus raising the level of the water in the drain. Such work would be chargeable to rates, and if done at all it should be done when the winter is over, as still larger accumulations will take place during the storms of winter. I have received a letter from Mr Anderson tendering his resignation. This step he has taken owing to exceptions taken by some of the members of the Board to his tendering with his brother for outside work. I regret that he has thought it necessary to resign, as in him I have a valuable assistant, who haß become thoroughly acquainted with all details of work, and has always done his work to my entire satisfaction. This change of assistants will be exceedingly inconvenient at this time, when important works have to be carried on requiring all the knowledge and attention that can be given to their proper execution. —C. Napier Bill, Engineer. Several matters in the report were deferred, and the consideration of the last clause was postponed till the report of the departmental committee should come before the Board. The report as a whole was approved. A letter from the Avon Road Board was read, requesting the Board to fill up a drain on the west sido of canal reserve. The matter was referred to the engineer. The Secretary was instructed to take the necessary steps to procure copies of the rate roll for the drainage district. The report of the committee appointed to consider the question of salaries, &0., was brought up. Consideration was postponed, as two members of the Board were called away, and there was no longer a quorum present.

The Board decided to accept Mr Anderson's resignation. Accounts were passed as follows : —Bate account, £6,531 3s 8d ; loan account, £2096 15s.

The Board then adjourned till Monday the 14th inst.