HUTT RIVER FLOW

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 48, 8 May 1930, Page 3

HUTT RIVER FLOW

A DRY SPELL GAUGING 19,000,000 GALLONS A DAY

Tfae lowest flow registeredl by the Hutt River during the recent dry spell was 19.6b0,60© gallons per day, stated the water engineer (Mr J. S. MoKillop) at a receive meeting of tiie City- and Suburban Water Board.

The information'was considered to be of, gfeat interest, as the city engineer in his report on the Hutt River water supply scheme had calculated on a minimum end-of-summer flow o£ 10,000,000 gallons. Tha latest measurement, taken at the end of an eight weeks' drought had; nearly doubled the estimated flow.

la answer, to eager questions, Mr McKillop said tke period just ended was not a, particularly dry one. The autumn of 19S&'for example, was much drier. They had no actual guagings of the Hutt River for that year but went on the reduction in flow of the Orongorongo which wjis a good deal lower in 1928 than it had beeit this year. The lowest guagings this yea*- of the other streams in the water supply ami were as follows: — Gallons a day. Wainui ......... 4,000,000 Orongoroago 3,750,000 Whakatiki 5,000,000 Little Akutarawa • 4,500.000 Mr McKillop mentioned that in 1917 the Wainui stream had -fallen to 2,000---0-000 gallons-a day, actually by the late Mi- J. M. Moriee, and this year it had not fallen, below 4,000,000 gallons per day. "A remarkable feature of the drought.' r said the eityxengineer (Mr G. Hart), '' was that the water in the weir at Wainui (the Morton Dam) never fell more than 12 inches below the lip of the by-wash." The chairman: So that we can never drain niore water than the inflow? Mr Hart: "Only to the extent of 12 inches over the area of the reservior." He also said that in absolutely dry weather the board couid rely on 10 million gallons a day from the Hutt River, and it might go to 12 millions. The city engineer'submitted a report in which he recalled that at the last meeting he had1 expressed the view that a further, three months' work was desiTable in order to make the work which had already been done .of some practical; value for some future reference. The' only field work which it had been practicable to undertake had been the necessary detail survey work required to enable selection to be made of the site of the intake and the route of the prospective main conduit, which included a tunnel extending from the proposed intake site to the upper .end of the; main Hutt 'Valley. No work had been undertaken in regard to the route for prospective con-, duits from the upper end of the Hutt Valley into Wellington. Iv view of the instruction to complete the whole of the.

construction surveys of the undertaking, he asked for authority to curtail further investigation upon the scheme in the preparation of surveys and plans so that it shall be limited to the prospective sites of intake and main conduit and tunnel route from that point to the head of the Hutt Valley. He advised the board it could complete this section of the work during the present financial year so that" it may be of practical value for further reference if required. The work which had already been done up to the present time was in itself of little

practical value,

The chairman saia that it was hjghly necesaary to have a detailed survey- of the head of the valley, so that they could have something of permanent value on hand, particularly if they were to take action in the acquisition of land which would be done with better advantage now than later. ''The time is coming," he continued '' when Petorie and the Hutt and everybody will be in it. I am not greatly concerned with the attitude of Petone and the Hutt as some members of the board think. If it is economical to' do so they have a perfect right to stay out. But they must not stand in the way if Wellington wishes to develop any of the schemes."

Sir Alexander Roberts: Wo have no desire to do that.

The chairman: Each local body should be free to select the best and cheapest means of developing its services. At present we (the City Council) are having a number of services examined, and a report may be available any day. When it is> it will be brought before the board, as my one desire is that we all keep together and lay our cards on the table. I wish to be as fair to the board as to the City Council."

Wli4?n the matter of the pipe-line was mentioned, the city engineer said ■ that for a great deal of its route the pipes would lie under public roads, but' here and there they might have to get easements on certain lands. -'"'''

On the motion of Mr P. Robertson it was decided not to proceedl with the securing of easements until the survey work at the head of the valley had been completed.