WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3731, 13 December 1906, Page 2

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

[to the editor.]

Sir.— As you have again endeavoured to arouse the community, to a sense of their responsibility as regards the vital questions of water, lighty and drainage, it may possibly be of use if I ask a few questions .and invite solriebne to arouse themselves from their apathy and answer themltt your next issue, thereby creating-h little more interest in these, subjects. I know that I may easily make mistakes, but if some one better acquainted than myself with them would only take the trouble to correct them we may arrive at something near a solution of the schemes in hand. There are several questions that will have to be decided before anything definite can be done, so the sooner we answer them the better. In your last issue you compared gas to kerosene to the disadvantage of the latter., [This statewe credited to our Woodville contemporary.—Ed. H,] I would now ask what is the comparative difference in cost of gas at lod per lopft, lighting seven burners for three hours, and the electric light at 2d per unit lor the same time and number of burners? Would not the difference of the interest on between the cost of the electric light plant and the cost of the gas plant give us the electric light if worked in conjunction with a water pumping scheme, as compared with the cost of making gas?,say per annum. Surely the electric light must be cheaper. With regard to the artesian well proposed at the racecourse hill, would it not be more reasonable to suppose that a better flow could be obtained from one just down under the ferry hill, which is 25ft lower than the one proposed ? By getting a flow of water so near the Main St. we should save about or per annum in piping and concrete tank, and lose nothing in the height above Main St. as the hill at the racecourse would have to be cut down to about half to let in a large concrete tank, but the ferry hill tank would be raised from ten to twenty feet at a much less cost.

Before talking of drainage let us settle the questions of water and light. To drain this towuship is something like the proposition of getting our water from the Shannon hills, far beyond either the means or requirements of the present population, in fact, I may say that it is impossible to drain this town under a very prohibitive figure, that is if due regard is paid to the Drainage Bill and to the necessity of guarding the public health. For instance, I would ask where would the first underground reservoir and pumping station be located ? and how far and how high would it be necessary to pump it afterwards to find the necessary outfall ? ot Where would the septic tanks and drainage farm be situated ? at a lower level than the town certainly, but where is that ? In haste and thanking you for allowing me so much of your valuable space,—lam etc., Aquarius.