THE WATERWORKS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1055, 6 September 1879, Page 2

THE WATERWORKS.

At the meeting of the Municipal Council the following report from the Finance Committee was read " Your committeo beg to report having thoroughly considered the Engineer's report re Waterworks, and find that the sum actually expended on the same, including charges, compensations, contracts, and all charges to date amount to the sum of L 70,924 8s lid ; and that the estimate by the Engineer of the sum necessary to finish tho work amounts to L3!),587 4s, being a total of L 110,511 12s lid." The following is tho report from tho Engineer referred to : —• " Oamaru Waterworks, "Engineer's Office, " Oamaru, 21st August, 1879. " To His Worship the Mayor and Councillors. " Gentlemen,— Agreeably to your reirest, I enclose a statement showing in 'J 1 oi, 'i t] le information wanted in tho resolution passed at your last meeting, merely premising that, in the matter of portions of race under contract, there are only about 10 chains of unfinished contract work to do, at a cost of about L7O. All the contracts we have in hand now are for timber supply and erection, for tunnel lining, and for the reservoir on which latter L2IOO has already been expended. There has also been expended, on account of laud and compensation, L 2940.

"Generally, the race and works have been completely finished to the Waikoura, 10 miles from the river, the water running in a most satisfactory manner, tho supply from the river having been more than ample during the whole winter. '' From the Waikoura to the reservoir, the whole of tho race cutting has been done, with tho exception of about 40 chains, viz.. 21 chains in Mr. Ross' ground, Papakaio, and the remainder in small blocks here and there, many of which cannot bo taken out until some timber bridges have been eaected. " The driving of tho tunnels (133 chains) has been completed some timo since, and they have all been secured with the exception of the south end of the <2S chain,' 'the Italian,' and the south end of ' Grant's,' but the necessary work is all in progress. "The excavating of the reservoir and the seat of the embankment and puddle trench have been taken out, and contractor for filling in has commenced ha contract. " We have also some 2000 yards of bluestone pitching ready to set. " In timber, all the work to the Wai» koura is finished, including tho two largo aqueducts over the Awamoko and the Waikoura creeks, respectively 200 feet and 450 feet long, and 30 to 50 feet high. The progress made on the other aqueducts may be taken as follows : Henderson s Gully, three-fourths done; Hensley Swamp, three-fourths done ; Roadtnan a Gully, half done ; Frew's Gully, 500 foot long, 45 to 90 feet high, finished ; Papa> kaio Gully, three-fourths done ; Landpn (upper), three-fourths done ; and to complete these and the remainder of tho timber work we have ordered a considerable quantity of material, some of which is now arriving. # 1 " The pipes ex Dunkeld are being delivered in excellent order, and wo have now over 1200 tons delivered, together with a large quantity of valves and special castings. The whole cargo will be discharged early next week. " The rest of the pipes ;iro to arrivo by the Cordelia, shortly expected. " I enclose herewith, for your information, the Inspecting Engineer's certificates as to quality of pipo plant. 1 lr—e > &c., "D. A. M ! Leou, i( "Engineer." The question of expenditure upon the waterworks was referred to the Waterworks Committee, with instructions to> re» duce the expenditure as much as possiblfli and to confer with the Engineer upon w lO matter.