PLAINS WATER SUPPLY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4627, 19 November 1923, Page 3

PLAINS WATER SUPPLY.

the small scheme. THE ENGINEER’S SUGGESTIONSAt the last meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council the following letter fmn Mr E. F. Adams w.-s read:— "I beg to submit the following suggestions in regard to water supply in your county west of the Piako. In the first place that* as before advised, your Council obtain through the Public Works Department tests of purity of the water (1) for stock, (2) for human consumption. In the event of such tests being satisfactory, that your Council build gauges, as I will direct, on t|he following streams - Waikaka, Mangawhero, Ngarua, and Waitakaruru,. That if the result of . the gauging this summer shows sufficient water —February is usually the . critical month —the Council take a referendum of the wh-.le area on the -x basis of 8s per cow per annum,, which ~ also iiicludes a domestic supply of 40 gallons per head per day. The result will show whether a sufficient area can be included to carry out, works t s economical to the basis stated. For • instance, if there is not majority • over the area west of the Piako, there may be a majority over an area which would be of sufficient extent and concentration of settlement to enable it to be economically supplied. “If your Council had such information there would be two alternatives, either put the loan poll to the area requiring water, on a preliminary estimate of cost with a wide margin, or submit a closer estimate with mon; detailed work obtained by incurring the cost of the. surveys, levels, and drawings necessary for the purpose. I suggest that when the district requirements are known, either through a referendum or any other means, that your Council engage an assistant competent to take levels and make • drawings and employ labour for the field worje. If your Council wishes I will supervise the field and office work inr egard to the layout and subsequent letting of contracts at suce terms—either on salary or percentage—as we may arrange. My only idea in the referendum proposal is to get something definite to work on. For all that one can learn at present, any proposal might be turned dow.l for any area of sufficient importance to warrant a water scheme. “I have already mentioned to Dr. Boyd and Inspector' Franklin, of Jhe Public Health Department, that your Council is considering the matter «f water sampling. Should you proceed witfi -these samples ! would like to advise on the points at which they should be taken; The purity of the samples at particular points affects the scheme vitally in more ways than ‘ one, and under' certain- conditions may alter the whole character bf the layout, even to the dimensions of the mains. Mr ; Adams waited upon the Coun--j cil by rejuest. Or. Parfitt said that his riding was prepared to' go ahead with a poll at once if necessary. z Mr Adams said that he desired to come to a definite conclusion. The cost of the work’ necessary to supply details of a scheme would be great, and he desired to know if the Council desired him to go ahead. For that reason he had given his opinion of the cost, so that the council could consider whether it was worth while going ahead with the obtaining of details. In ■ reply to the chairman Mr Adams said that the Pipiroa riding was . large enough and. productive enough to get a supply at 8s per cow, - as he had quoted. There was an ample supply available in the Waitakaruru streams. He suggested that the first thing to be done was to get the water tested; which would be done by the Health Department probably at no cost. C' In reply to Cr. Parfitt Mr Adams said that if the gauging he suggested proved that there was ample ‘ water available the reticulation could be •continued as far as the water was required at 8s per cow. Small areas could not be done at this cost, nor areas that were sparsely-settled. Mr Adams said that if the water proved to be unsuitable for household purposes it would be an easy matter to make it fit for drinking. The cost of this would be practically nil, provided the necessity was known beforehand and provided for. Cr. Parfitt asked where Mr Adams proposed to get a supply of. water for the area between the two rivers from. ' Mr Adams said that he had no authority for saying so, but in his opinion the Kauaeranga River was the best source for the district. It was useless using such good water for power, considering that electricity was available. There was a very big supply, and it was running to waste. IF.. Cr. Parfitt moved that the Health Department be asked to make an - analysis of the water, and that a postal referendum be taken over the area reported upon with the exception of the Patetonga riding. Seconded by Cr. Madgwick and car- . ried. THE MAJOR SCHEME. The Minister of Public Works wrote acknowledging receipt of the council’s letter inquiring whether the Department was prepared to carry out a water scheme to serve the Hauraki Plains for the amount of the estimate supplied by the Departments engineer. It was noticed that the council’s statement that the scheme would benefit the Plains County, part of Ohinemuri 'County, and probably Paeroa Borough, and that; if these two . other local bodies could be interested in the scheme the cost could be spread over the greater area. It was presumed that the council had had correspondence with the two local bodies concerned, and if this was so the Department stated that it would be glad to know whether any decision . , had" been arrived at. If the matter v had not already been take up with them, then the first step was for the council and the other local bodies to meet in conference, and if it was decided that the scheme should be entered into, the proportion each body

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