DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2377, 15 November 1881, Page 4

DRAINAGE BOARD.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the above Board was held yesterday afternoon at two o'clock. Present—Mr H. J. Tailored (chairman), Messrs Harman, White, Hobbs, Brown and Boss. , Mr Kruse and two others waited upon the Board and urged the necessity for something being done at once to prevent tho flooding of their land. Tho Board had repeatedly promised to take stepß in the matter, but the evil etill existed, and one resident had suffered a loss to the extont of £SOO. The present was a favorable time to undertake the work, as there was no water to contend with, but if nothing was done now, great injury would bo inflicted in the winter. Mr Brown moved—- *' That tho recommendations of the engineer be oarried out." Mr Boss seconded. Tho report of the engineer on the Bubject stated that tho cost of draining the lana would be £433, £3OO of which would fall upon the Hicc&rton district. After some disoussion the motion was withdrawn, the chairman ruling that notice would have to be given. It was decided to take the matter into consideration at next meating.—Moaßr a Barlow and others waited upon the Board in reference to the condition of the boundary drain between the Avon and Bicoarton districts, whioh was at present overflowing. The Board resolved to deal with this matter at next meeting in connection with Mr Krußj's application.—Mr Travers applied to have a bridge constructed over a drain in tho New Brighton swamp. On the motion of Mr Harman, seconded by Mr White, it was resolved—" That tho question of the liability of the Board in this and similar cases be referred to the Board's solicitors for their opinion." The engineer's report was read as follows: — 1. I submit a plan of about 32£ acres of the Sandhills, which I propose should be levelled for receiving the sewage from the pumps. The plan also shows the carr.er which will bring the sewage to the plot to be irrigated, and the ditch ■which will drain it away after it has passed over the land. Part of the land is to be formed with a slope from the sewage carrier to the disoharge drain, and part of it is formed into ridges and furrows according as the features of the ground suit best. The sewage in the carrier, onlbeing dammed, will overflow the land, and. falling down the Blopes, will be caught by the discharge ditch and taken to the Estuary. The ground is intersected, as shown, by numerous ditches, which will permit of any part being irrigated in its turn. The whole area is divided into five plots, each of which can be flooded for three or lour hours, and the sewage will then be turned on to the next plot. I would not advise the Board to prepare Io3S land than is here shown, as I am confident that it will all be required to dispose of the Bewage .at present, and that more will have to be prepared afterwards to provide for a larger population. lam under the impression that it will be found to be necessary to under-drain the land that is to be irrigated by pipe drains laid about Bii feet under the surface in lines 60ft or 80ft apart, and that if this is not done the land will become saturated with water. But as this is ▼ery expensive, and as the quantity of Bewage at first will be small, from tho very limited number of connections yet made, I would .recommend that the land be irrigated at first without being underdrained, and we will bo guided by the result in this respect. It will be Been on the plan that a road_ crosses the plots in auoh a manner as to make it moßt difficult to •use the land in tho manner proposed, and I have shown the diversion cf the same, which 1 mentioned in a former report. I think this is an important matter, and that tho Board should, if possible, insist on its being diverted. The part of the Sandhill reserve which is shown on the plan is the smoothest and mo3t suitable for levelling; the rast of the reserve is much rougher, and will cost more to level it down for •use. The carrier for the first 500 feet from the end of the pipes will be a timber flume elevated above the ground, and from thence onwards it wi ; l be merely a ditch in the sand, which I am in hopes will Btand sufficiently steep to form a ditch after it is once saturated with sewage slime, but if not, then of course tho sides will require to be lined with planking, which can ba done when found necessary. Half way on the course of the carrier a deep pot-hole exists in tho Sandhills, which will be used as settling ponds, where the sewage will deposit the sludge, which is apt to be troublesome on the irrigated laud ; the sludge can be covered with sand, and removed from time to time. We have not had time to take out tho quantities in this work, but an approximate estimate is submitted herewith. (2.) I submit a revised plan and estimate for pipe Bowers" to be laid in tho different districts. This will of coarse bo subject to alterations that may be necessary for the convenience of flushing, as I must re-arrange tho levels of all the pipe sewers for Sydenham and Heathcote, to make them suitable for economical flushing by artesian wells. (3) Mr O. W. Turner has delivered nearly the whole of hi 3 contract for pipes, which have been carefully inspected and stacked in the pipe yard. (4) The works of the main sewerß and'erection of machinery are progressing satisfactorily, as are the repaira to the broken sewer in the East belt.—C. Napier Bell, engineer. On the motion of Mr Bo9g, it was decidod that the proposal contained in clause 1 of the engineer's report be carried out, to the extent of about sixteen acres, and that tenders be called for. Olause 2 was postponed until next meeting, and the remaining clauses wore approved of. A letter from Dr. Bussell, requesting the removal of a nuisance from the front of his house in Chester street, was referred to the City Council Board of Health.—The following letter was read from Messrs Garrick and Cowlishaw:— With reference to the allocation of .£20,000 for drainage works, we think the Board is not precluded from considering and deciding upon this expenditure simply because it was not included in the estimates for the current year. The Drainage Amendment Act would appear to lave been passed with the object of securing tho local expenditure of moneys raised by the rates, and of providing against favoring any part or parte of the district to the prejudice of the rest. Frima facie it would seem that if the proposed expenditure of that £20,000 will represent to any part of the district a larger rate than Is in the £, it ought not to be sanctioned by the Board. There may, however, be circumstances not submitted to us which would perhaps enable this objection to be removed. On tho motion of Mr Boss, it was resolved—" That the resolution in the minutes of May 23rd, 1831, referring to the pipe laying in the Ohristchurch, Sydenham, and Heathcote districts, to the effect that no money be expended in those districts, be rescinded."

Mr Harman brought up the following report from the oommittee : The committee appointed on October 4th to recommend what lines of pipe sewers shall be proceeded with are not unanimous, bat a majority beg to recommend for adoption the schedule of sewers herewith signed by the engineer. Mr Brown opposed the proposal contained in the report. It would be better to defer the matter until tho election of the new "Board, which would take place in about six -woeks.—Mr White would also vote against the adoption of the report. In the first place, the proceedings of the committee had ■ been most irregular. There had been no ■ properly constituted meeting, and the report had not been arrived at in a deliberative ■manner, the question not having been thoroughly gone into. He also thought that the solicitor's opinion was not worth the paper it was written on. Instead of saying ".we think," they should have given a positive opinion. He would suggest that an opinion be obtained from another solicitor. He gave other roaßons why the matter should be postponed, at any rate for five or six weeks. —Mr Harman replied to the last speaker's remarks in reference to the proceedings of the committee. Mr White should have stated at first that he was opposed to the very proposal which wns referred to the committee to consider. With regard to deferring the matter, he thought that the existing Board, having now had considerable experience ,in drainage matters, would bo more competont to carry out this work than the new Board.—Mr Hobbs supported tho adoption of the report, as ho considered that the proposed pipo laying was urgently required. The .preseat surface drains were very detrimental to the public health. Tho question of the adoption of the report wae then put, with tho following result:—Ayes Messrs Rous, Harman, Hobbs. Noes—Messrs .Brown and White. The motion was consequently carried.—Mr Harman moved "That the engineer bo instructed to invite tenders." Mr White said this motion involved the expenditure of money, and notice would be noceisary. —The Chairman thought the report of the committee was sufficient notico, and that the motion could be put.— Mr Brown was of opinion Chat the tenders should not be called until a month had elapsed.—Mr White opposed the motion. If this work were oarried out a rate of Is would not be _ sufficient to pay the interest and sinking fund on the amount expended. and one portion of the diatriot would hove to pay rates, which would be spent for tho benefit of other portions.—Mr Harman said he had looked into the matter very carefully, and was certain that the district would not have to be rated up to le. As to time, he

had no objection to deferring the matter for a month, if the engineer saw no harm in such a course.—After some discussion the Board divided on the following question : —" That tonders bo invited for the laying of the pipes, us recemtponded by the committee, the same to be considered at a meeting of the Board to be held this day four weeks ; and that the tenders bo for four or five contracts or, at the option of tho tenderer, for the whole work." Ayes—Messrs Boss, Harman, and Hobbs. Noes—Mr White. Motion carried. The following accounts were passed for payment :—Loan account, £1385 15s 2d ; rate account, £46 18s 2d. This was all the business, and the Board adjourned.