The Hutt News THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1929. WATER SUPPLY.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 13, 22 August 1929, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1929. WATER SUPPLY.

Possibly nothing is of such supreme importance to cities and boroughs as an adequate supply of good water which can 'be made to reach eveTy part of the city, even to the higih. levels1. Apart from the purpose of consumption, there is the question of cleanliness sp vitally essential to health, and the s^pll greater matter of asewage system entirely dependent on. a full water supply. In our columns we have recorded, more than once, how fortunate we, of tie Lower Hutt borough, are .-in regard to water from out artesian supply. There has been no shortage—not even in. the dry summer-^indeed, water could at all times be freely used in the gardens. Not only is out supply ample, but it is cheap. . The cost of sinking wells is not at all heavy—no great outlay was necessary for the construction of the reservoir at Normandalef —these works were carried out at a time when money was a good deal cheaper than it is to-day-^hence no heavy annual charge for inteTest on capital cost has to be met. During the recent municipal election statements' .were made from the public platform by the present Mayor (Sir. Alex. Roberts), and by several claimants for Council honours that our supply was sufficient fot the present, and for a number of years to [ come. If all this be true, w&y are we a party to the great scheme to provide water from, the upper reaches of the Hutt River, and why have we a representative on that Water Board? The answer is not far to seek, Good as is present supply, the new one is a better one: while we can carry on foT a few years under our system, the new one.makes us secure for the near, and also the distant future. It is confidently stated, in addition to all this,

that a beter quality of "water can be supplied under the new scheme which will, it is fondly hoped, be participated in by t>he*big city of Wellington and the adjacent boroughs of Petone, Lower Hutt and Eastbourne as well as by a portion of the Hutt County. Granted all this, it now becomes a question, not so mli'C'h of costs, but as to an equitable apportionment -of those costs, j Eastbourne is in great difficulty, and requests an immediate prosecution of the work of weir-construction and of reticulation, because she (Eastbourne), is more than anxious to instal a complete sewage system and water is: the first essential. Petone is in very much the same position as we are- in, and can carry on, under existing conditions', for some years yet. Surely such a fine scheme as that vested in the Water Board will not be wrecked 'because of the quota of costs to be borne by the several- bodies interested. There was quite a harmonious feeling at the Board meeting last week- which augurs well for future negotiations. _It tas been hinted, nay more than hinted, that under first proposals Wellington was not assessed to carry her full s&are of the financial burden, and that, in consequence, out and, Petone Would have had to pay a very much. heavier price per thousand gallons than it is costing at present. We do not know whether this is so or not,, but we do believe that a satisfactory system of basing each local body's share can be arrived at —possibly on a population basis, or on a consumption basis, provided each contributing body, will take its proportionate, share of the full _ delivery possible, from the large mains it is proposeji to lay. The s'eheme is too splendid a one to be wrecked or risked; differences must be smoothed over, the work proceeded with, so that, as mentioned in t-he report from the City Engineer, the scheme may be in operation within six years.