TIMARU WATERWORKS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6510, 7 January 1882, Page 6

TIMARU WATERWORKS.

The following final report by Messrs Dobson and Son, the Waterworks engineers, on the works, was read at the Borough Council meeting on Thursday night:— " To His Worship the Mayor of Timaru. " Sir, —We have the honour to hand you the following report on the Timaru Waterworks, which are now completed to tho extent provided for in our oontract with the Corporation. The works have throughout been constructed in a thoroughly substantial manner, and will require but little maintenance. In the open race it will probably be found advisable to batter the slopes in places where they are under cuttings—m all the other steep banks this has already been done; also, at the ends of the wooden flumes it will bo well to put a fillet of concrete, as has been done round Mount Horrible, tho clay being far to sandy to make good puddle, and the flumes are consequently difficult to keep tight. All this work can be done by the present maintenance men, the water being shut off for the purpose from time to time. " At the reservoir the caretaker could make a bank on each side of the wood flume, which would proteot it from the sun, as he is a carpenter. We would recommend that he build a tool-house over the valve-well; this will also keep the valve and gearing dry. It would be a convenience when this is done to put the valve-wheel in the house, lengthening the spindle the necessary amount, as it would save climbing up and down the well. The present arrangements at the reservoir will work very well until the daily demand is greater than the supply, and the night stori age has to be utilised. _ It will then be necessary to connect the pipe at the pipe-head direot to the outlet pipe in the valve-well, by a byepress, with a eoreentng-well. This will be a very simple matter, the chief expense being the 13 chains of large main. But as the quantity the race will, deliver daily is very far in exoess of the needs, not only of the present population of the Borough, but also of the present population of tho suburbs, it will be many years before any additional works will bo nocossary. "Throughout the whole of tho works we have endeavoured to adhere as olosely as possible to the scheme as originally demised by our predecessors, and to utilize as much as possible the plant and works we found whon taking charge. We cannot say that the soheme would have been carried out in the same way had wo been free to design what wo considered best for the place j nor should we have used plant of the description adopted. But as it is, we oan freely say that wo consider tho soheme, on tho wholo, satisfactory, and have no doubt that it will be a great boon to the Borough, both from a sanitary and fire-prevention point of view. With a properly equipped Fire Brigade, the risk of serious loss from fire is almost infinitesimal. " Thanking you and tho Council for the courtesy which has always been oxtended to us during the progress of the work,—Wt have, &c., •'Edwabd Dobson and So*."