THE WATER QUESTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3497, 16 March 1905, Page 2

THE WATER QUESTION.

TO TIIE EDITOR OE THE MANAWATC HERAL H Sir,—Now that the water question has been practically shelved, with the additional expense of a poll ot the ratepayers, I may be forgiven if I make one more effort to supply the township with an immediate and cheap supply of good water, as at the present time it is so urgently requircd--so much so that, physicians tell us, it the drought lasts much longer, and we ot necessity continue to drink the dreg* of on r tanks, an epidemic will surely be the result: My letter to the council could not possibly have been understood by the councillors; m fact it was pooh poohed by the Mayor, and the councillors took it for panted that it was an absurdity; hut no sane person will deny that I aui h ot Perfectly right in my suggestion to tne council, that before embarking nT a costly and problematical scheme it should first test the capacity ot the artesian well already put down near the Avenue bridge. Now we all know that it gives a certain supply ot water, and that at times, when there is a continuance of wind to drive the windmill, the four 400 gallon atter supplying the various wants, _ are tun te overflowing, proving that' it <*■ constant force pump were used there would be a more constant supply. * naturally suggested that a low power oil engine and force pump should be fixed instead of the windmill, to ascertain the exact capacity of the well, tor if it only gave the very low result indeed of ten gallons per fflhiute, that would be 600 gallons pec minute, and in four hours it would pump ah that the town required for twerity-four hours ; but the estimate of ten gallons per minute is far too low for the performance of any force pump now irt use, in fact a £l3 10s windmill will pump 400 gallons a minute 40 feet high, so if it is found that the well will give only 30 gallons a minute, it need onlv be pumped for one hour and a half per day to give the desired supnlv, that is, provided there is a tank to hold it. What would meet the immediate requirements, would be to lay the pipes down one side of Main Street, with hydrants and taps, at intervals of, say, 100 feet, and connect the pipes with the four tanks now erected. Then the engine would easily fill them twice every day, and theretore give all the water that is required tor a day’s consumption. The Mayor says that if he put a 20,000 gallon concrete tank on a sand-hill 70 feet high near the racecourse, he could throw a jet of water 200 feet high over the township; but that is a mistake. He must study hydraulic* a little more, and then he will find that to obtain a pressure ot water for fire purposes, he would have to put his tank at an altitude of from 140 to 170 feet to he of any use. Besides, he would require a much better foundation for a 20,000 concrete tank than the top of a sand-hill. Thanking you for your leniency as regards space.—l am, etc.. F. De Bidder.