PUMPING DRAIN WATER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5016, 20 August 1926, Page 1

PUMPING DRAIN WATER.

A rawerawe project. IMPROVING GOOD DRAINAGE. An electrically driven centrifugal pump is to be installed at .the outlet of the Rawerawe roadside drain to aSr sist the flood-gate in discharging abnormal flows of water. This decision was arrived at on Tuesday evening at a representative meeting of settlers of the area that will "be benefited. Unlike the Puhanga island block, which is low-lying and cannot get drainage in abnormal times) on account of the lack of tidal, action to operate, the flood-gates, the Rawerawe district is comparatively high land, and was not generally covered with water in the days before the, swhmp was drained. Also, being only about five mile's from the moUth of the river,, and below Rawerawe Bend, there is always some tidal action. The district was, one of the first settled, and is now one of the closest farmed areas on the Plains.

The construction of numerous farm drains, together with continual heavy stocking, has assisted, the, natural consolidation of the soil, and now, with the extension of the main outlet drains to the unsettled land about. Pouarua Road, and possibly with a lessened amount of attention to the far|m drains and main outlets, the land has become wetter. It is not so bad as some other parts, of the Plains, but the settlers, being progressive farmers, ever striving to improve their lot, investigated the possibiities of pumping. An inspection of the Puhanga island block during the wet weather of last week, elsewhere most outlets were taxed to their utmost and much land was submerged with storm-water, proved to them beyond doubt that if pumping could keep the low-lying Puhanga island land dry and the drains empty the installation of a pump at Rawerawe was warranted and would be a sound proposition.

When the proposal, was discussed at the meeting it was lealised that there, were many difficulties to be overcome. The drainage syste,m was not designed for pumping, and all the outlet drains were connected for miles in every direction, while some of the outlets for nearby farms, were graded td distant flood-gates. If the Rawer.awe outlet was to be kept at a low level by pumping, water would be drawn from Ngatea, Hopai, and beyond, and from the Pouarua roadside drains, which Were still more or less, the outlet for the hill country. Naturally this land would not get sufficient benefit to warrant all of it being charged with the cost of the pumping, but the water would possibly be a serious obstacle to the success of the scheme.

It was decided to s.eek the advice of the Lands Drainage Engineer on the matter, and as the department hak> recently promised that a hew floodgate would be, installed at Rawerawe the committee was instructed to approach the department with a request that the money promised for this work should be utilised to assist the. pumping scheme. It was thought that over 20 settlers would receive direct benefit 'from a pump a,t Rawerawe, and that these men should contribute towards, the cost of installation on an acreage basis. It was thought that the cost would not exceed one shilling an acre. The cost of operation could hardly be estimated, and it would possibly vary from year to year, so it was Suggested that it be divided annually according to the amount of benefit received. The,s,e matters were not definitely decided, but a committee wasappointed to go into the whole matter and report to a further meeting. The committee, Messrs A. Cleaver, W. Motion, and R- Burke, will, interview the Lands Drainage Engineer in regard- to the matters already mentioned, and will will djso confer with the Thames Valley Power Board engineer with reference to, the style of pump and cost of installation and operation. It may also consult a lawyer in regard to an agreement between the various settlers, so that at the next meeting it might be possible to finalise the whole business a,nd get the pump installed as; soon as possible so as to be ready for any emergency that may occur before next winter. A WIDER SCOPE. Whereas the pumps, at Puhanga and Ngatea bridge are for use when the flood-gates are inoperative, -sQhd the pump at Rawerawe will be used to improve’ a comparatively good drainage system, there is an even wider scope available. The efficient drainage of the lands, lying near the foreshore of the Gulf is not as ea'sy as would be thought, on account of the, fact that it is. almost impossible to maintain an outlet channel- across the mud-flats. Tn places the mud-flats are two or three feet higher than the farm lands ins,ide the stop-banks, and the accretion goes on with every tide, so unless, there is a steady and considerable flow of water the channels soon disappear. Many outlets to the Gulf have therefore been abandoned as, useless and the drains, carried round the stop-banks to one of the rivers or permanent streams. To lift water over the stop-bank in times of heavy rainfall, when flooding is probable on account of the long distance the water would otherwise have to flow, seems, the logical conclusion.