The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5326, 23 April 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1878.

At the banquet given by the Mayor to Mr. Clarke the latter made a capital speech, which stated in clear terms many facts about the sewerage of the city. Mr. Clarke greatly impressed his hearers by his simple, straightforward, business-like remarks. Coming from so eminent an engineer, and one in whom so much power now lies, these remarks are extremely important, and should be carefully considered by every citizen. We are glad to find that Mr. Clarke very strongly urges that our harbor should not be polluted. He agrees with all real sanitary authorities that such a disposal of the sewage would spoil the harbor and bo most hurtful to the people. Wo are aware that many people think it should be cast into the harbor, and that many of them have great influence. Happily, these persons will not have their own way, and baseless crotchets must yield to long experience. In these columns last year we pointed out that such a disposal of the sewage would be most injurious; and wo are pleased to find that Mr. Clarice is so much opposed to it that the sewage will be put elsewhere. Mr, Clarke proposes that the sewage should be poured over part of the barren sand dunes at Lyells Bay ; ho says that for a long time a part of this will suffice, and that it need not for some years be thrown into the sea. We are anxious to see Mr. Clarke’s report on this point, because elsewlmro such disposal of sewage and reclamation of land have proved a costly failure. The quantity of land required will be considerable, because the experience of many placesinGreatßritainprovcs that forovery HK) people one acre (if land will be needed. Therefore the quantity required for the

city of Wellington now is about 200 acres, and would yearly increase. The expense of buying the laud, levelling the sand dunes, forming drains, and planting, would be very great, but iperhaps this plan would be less costly than that entailed by carrying it several miles further through expensive tunnels. Many people think Wellington an easy city to drain, because it is so hilly. Thau this opinion none could be more wrong. Hilly cities are Most difficult to drain well, and Mr. Claeke justly stigmatises i this town as one of the worst. He says there are two flats and any quantity of hills —the plains very level, the hills very steep. The streets run up and down the hills, and traverse the flat, thereby presenting immense difficulties. Altogether we have every reason to belivo that Mr. Olaeke s report will be most interesting and moat valuable. But while looking eagerly for it vve can hardly help feeling that such a report is almost premature, for the reason that sanitary authorities are now pretty unanimously agreed that the water carriage system is by far the best. On this pointCLiMiE, Bull, Claeke, and the City Council are all in harmony. As these authorities have decided that Wellington shall use the water-carriage system, it is necessary at once to get abundance of water. One thing is certain, unless we have a full supply of water —a supply that never intermits, but is constant during the longest droughts it would be madness to attempt to carry out this scheme. To have an engineer to report on a sewerage scheme, and to begin to lay sewers without water wherewith to cleanse them, is somewhat absurd; it is beginning at the wrong end. We should first have abundance of water laid on to onr houses, a supply which should be ample for all purposes, and be as abundant at the end of a long dry summer as an the close of a wet winter. Then, and not till then, should we attempt to sewer the city. Our present supply is far too small for our present wants, without using any for servers ; and sewers without water are frightfully dangerous. Our City Council must get plenty of water ere they attach a single sewer to any house. The water required for waterclosets and sewers is very great;its amount per head daily has not been accurately determined; but it is probable that including waste, and occasional flushing of sewers, the amount will be about 10 gallons. In some cities it is as high as 20, or even more. Several cities at Home carried out costly sewerage works, the water supply proved insufficient, fever appeared, and the unwashed sewers proved so many channels for the spread of disease and death. The City Council must now face the water difficulty; they cannot afford to delay any longer; at all costs they must pow decide where they can get abundance of water, and how soon they can get it. Many months must elapse ere sufficient water can be got ; and we repeat, not until ‘the water is actually brought to our doors in abundant neverfailing streams should any house bo allowed to be connected with any sewer. All the evidence goes to show that the present water supply is far too small for our present wants ; yet even that scant}' supply has cost upwards of £70,000. Some of the City Councillors think that by damming the Kaiwarra stream near its mouth sufficient water might be got, but as the houses in the Karori village (now few in number, but rapidly increasing) drain into the stream, the water will not be usable. Others think it should be brought from the Paikakariki or the Pakuratahi. Seeing that opinions are so divided on the subject, and remembering thepreviousdisastrous failure, weearnestly hope that before the Council determines to adopt some new plan, which will cost £IOO,OOO, it will consult competent authorities, so that no such difference of opinion may be found as in the last case, where the Waterworks engineer calculates there will be a certain quantity, and Mr. Teavees proves there will be only half that amount. As Mr. Cc-aekb is here he might be engaged to report on the Waterworks ; as a hydraulic engineer ha has long earned for himself a name and fame. Having planned a complete system of sewerage, he will be able to toll us pretty accurately the total amount of water needed, and could give us trustworthy advice as to the best means of obtaining that water. If the City Councillors decide to ask his opinion on the matter, the ratepayers will feel assured that another £IOO,OOO will not be thrown away, but that their money will be well spent, and Wellington have a complete and efficient system of sewerage, with abundance of water.