DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2269, 12 July 1881, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the above Board was held yesterday afternoon at half-past one o’clock, there being present—Mr H. J. Tailored (in the chair), Mr R. J. 8. Harman, Mr W. White, jun., C. R, Blakiston, 0. Cuff and J. E. Brown.

The renort of the Engineer to the Board was read as follows : I have examined the drainage in the neighbourhood of Euskin and Bnrko streets. The greater part of the block of laud between Selwyn street and Windmill road is drained by an open ditch, which extends from Euskin street to the South belt. In laying out new streets, advantage has been taken of this drain, and the streets havo been formed with a fall towards it, all the east side of Selwyn street sendaiits water in the same direction, consequently all homes and properties between selwyn street and the drain, the cemetery and the fields on both sides of the drain, havo no other outlet for drainage. In consequence of this it would ba most injurious to property if the drain wore interrupted, and it must be kept open until a street is made the same line. Great inconvenience is now caused where it passes through small sections of private property, in some places it has been put through very small box culverts with gratings in front, which, not boing attended to, get choked in time of rain. Here, as in many other places, great public inconvenience is caused, there boing no control over the formation of streets by private people, and, under the circumstances, I can suggest no other remedy than to lay a 12 inch pipe from Ruskin street, wsere it would discharge into the open ditch. Such pipe must bo provided with gulleys and gratings at the streets, and private sections must have small sumps and connections with the pipe. At tho road laid out to the south of Hazeldean road there is again a succession of small properties, which may have to be treated in tho same way by laying an 18 inch pipe through them, because the roads laid out do not come in the line of the drain. At this place, where the open drain discharges into the pipe, they must be provided by a grating, which would be worse than useless unless attended to in time of rain, whether this occur at night or day, if no grating _is provided the pipe would soon get choked, and if this grating is not attended to it will get blocked by leaves until it is flooded. The cost of laying about 17 chains of pipes in this drain would bo approximately _ If a street was laid ont in the line of this drain, it would take all tho drainage by its side channels, but it small sections continue to ba sold, which have tho drain for their back boundary, the result will be that the whole length will have to be piped through private property, and the confusion which this will lead to is evident, while if a street were laid out in a continuous line from Hazeldean road to Ruskin street, the drainage of all of this block of land will he greatly improved,with benefit to the whole of the property between Selwyn street and Windmill road. The complaint made by Mr Cowhshaw arises from the stoppages by willow roots of a small wooden culvert across the road. To clear it tho culvert must be taken up, and if found to bo rotten it will havo to he repaired before it is again put in place. The culvert was put in by the Heathcote Road Board.

Mr Heard corn plains that the sections in Worcester street over the Stanmore road were flood*!. Torelieye this the Heathcote Road Board ask that the drain pipe which is laid in Stanmore road, from the river to Gloucester street, may Oe continued to Worcester street, in which case they would lay out the side channels of Bath street, so as to drain to the pipes, and thus relieve Mr Heard. According to Mr Clark’s d-sign the pipe in Stanmore road from Gloucester street to the river is a combined storm water and sewage pipe, but from Gloucester street to the Drain road the pipe is to be a sewage pipe only, and storm water drainage must be carried by side channels down the Stanmore road to the drain in the Drain road or Tuam street east As the fall of the country is towards the 8.E., all the streets in Linwood should be formed with a fall towards.the east, and the streets in a west and south direction should fall towards the south, thus the side channels would take the drainage to the drain in Tnam street east. If, however, this has not been attended to in laying out the streets they must either be out down and re-formed, or else one or more open drains or sewers must be made to bring the sewage to Tnam street drain from places where depressions in the road will not allow of a continuous drainage by side channels. I presume the roads in Linwood were firmed by private parties, who probably have not thought proper to incur the expense of keeping tie roads at regular inclinations and sufficiently low to command the drainage of the sections adjoining them. I have not taken the levels ef tlis new suburb. The land was formerly drained by one or more deep ditches, which have been illed np when it was laid out with the present stieeta.

In consequence of the formation ol a nav street on the site of the creek in Carlton paddock, the swamp is filled with water to tie detriment of several new houses and garden:. The only remedy for this is to lay a 9-in pipe in Andover street, from St. James stree; to tie brick sewer in Carlton terrace, and to ;eep tie drain open above this point through theswamf. When the latter ia occupied and filed up, this drain will no longer be required. _Tb) length of pipe required would be five chains.and tip approximate cost, with gully and nanholf, cleaning out the old drain, would be £4i. In regard to tho complaint of certain Esidents at Sawyers’ Arms road, that their poperties were recently flooded by the insufficiei: size cf the culvert under this road, the Avm Real Board recently took out an old culvrt, and asked the Drainage Board to contributetowards building a concrete culvert. On tie 16th August, 1880, the Board replied that as so extra water had been brought to this waterourse, :t declined to contribute to the enlargomeit of tie culvert. The Avon Road Board, thereore, laid two lines of 12in pipes, which at once poved tco small. This might have been foreseen,because a wooden culvert further np tho creek, vhich is many years old. has four times the watrway of the two lines of 12in pipes, and was kiown so be filled at every heavy storm. The Irainafe Board, to my knowledge, have broight »o additional water to this creek, and if ;here is an increase it must bo caused by the orners of property improving the drainage of tie Seles. In July, 18d0, after a heavy storm, therailwty authorities enlarged the culvert over tie sane creek, giving a waterway eight times is great as the two lines ot 12in pipes which tho Avm Road Board laid down just after this, alfhoufh the pipes are far too small to carry off at once a heavy storm of rain. The waters of a floid do not accumulate more than one day, so tint the injury to the fields cannot be great. Mr D. Green asked the Board to straighten a crooked watercourse through his property, BS. 459, 2219, 1501, 1231. The advantage of tlis to Mr Green would consist in straightening lis paddocks and reclaiming the wide swaiipy edges of the creek. This is a similar case to that of Messrs J. Taylor and Hacked, on ;he same creek, lower down, where tie Soird diverted the crooked creek through a etraijht drain, and tho earth was taken by thoownento fill up the swampy edges of the old crick, ’.’he drain could be easier kept in good order i: it were cut straight, and as Mr Green offers to cart away the earth, tho cost would lie abiut £3O.

Messrs Kerr and Barnett have contracted to plant throe rows of pine trees on tic western boundary of tho Sandhills reserve, an I to guarantee the growth of the same for the aim of 15s per hundred. The works of the main sewers and the emotion of tho machinery and buildings, aic mailing fair progress, tho foundations of tie former being in very good ground at present I have made plans for a cooling pond for condmsingthe engines, the supply to bo from a 3in.artei.an. I will get offers from well sinkers to mt down this well, which will be submitted to tie works committee. The pond will be built b} tho contractor.

'the trustees of St. Luke’s Chnrcl reqiest the Board to lay down about 36 feet of Bin. pipe in the creek in their church yord, tho cost of which they will repay to tho Board. In reference to the first clause of the report it was resolved—“ That tho Board is willing to grant relief between the Scuth belt and Ruekin street, if the proprietors ;rant an easement giving the Board right of drainage.” The second clause was referred to ;ho local Board interested. Tho conciderstion of clause three was postponed till after tho rate is struck. Clause four was also postponed. Clause 6. —Permission to be given to Mr Green to fill tho creek at his own expense, subject to the engineer’s approval. The remaining clauses ot the report were tpproved, and the report as a whole was then passed. In reference to an application from Mr Every, who interviewed tho Board, it was resolved that tho Board had no power to grant relief.

Correspondence was then laid before the Board and duly considered. Tho letters received were as follows ;

From Mr F. Jones, enclosing copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the ratepayers held at Christchurch, in favor ot the Local Elections Act, 1876, being brought into force in conducting the election ot members of the Drainage Board. It was resolved to adopt tho necessary stops to give effect to the resolution.

From the Heathcote Road Board, calling attention to the state of the culverts across the creek in St. John’s and Dyer’s road; also to the necessity for larger pipes across the road by 8.8. 1622 on the Lower Avon road. Referred to the engineer. From the clerk to the Avon Road Board, asking if the Drainage Board intend to deepen the drain on the Lower Avon road. It was resolved to reply that the Board would consider the matter. From certain owners and residents in St. James’ terrace, Carlton paddock, asking that the system of drainage of that locality, which had been closed, might be re-opened. Resolved—“ That the Board would allow the memorialists to drain the storm-water by means of connection with the Board's stormwater sewer.”

Other letters of an unimportant character were considered and disposed of. Accounts for the past fortnight were then passed, and the Board adjourned.