Pukekohe's Water Supply.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 7, 26 January 1915, Page 2

Pukekohe's Water Supply.

I TO THE EDITOR! Sir,—l cannot help thinking that your leader of 22nd inst., although containing much truth, tends rather to confuse than to help ratepayers in their decisison upon the coming waterworks poll. It is not my object to endeavour to defend the Borough Council in any way, but I would say a few words relating to the question of whether ratepayers should vote for the loan. You raise doubts as to whether "water facilities in the town ara imperilled as things now stand." One knows that a machine that does work within its designed capacity may last almost indefinitely, whereas if it is loaded only slightly beyond its capacity its depreciation is exceedingly rapid. Now, our present reservoir is at a height which produces a pressure of 2361b per square inch at the power house, where it is pumped by a pomp designed (in accordance with the original specifications) to work at a maximum pressure of 1801bs to the square inch. That such a curious state of affairs should exist may seem incredible to your » readers, but a pressure gauge makes I cleat the one fact, and specifications and correspondence at the Town J Clerk's office makes clear the other. This means the pump designed for working at 1 801 bs must work at 2351bs (or in practice 2401b), and everyone knows that so overtaxing the strength of the pump must cause rapid depreciation, with the liability of a sudden break-down. Another indication of the strain to which the engine is subjected is seen in the concrete bed on which the engine rests, which has lately shown cracks on either side which suggests that the bed may spilt right through at any moment. Now he would be a very sanguine man who would take it for granted that that moment would occur when the reservoir was full. Ihe flight resulting displacement \u the position of the pump and its shafting would at once stop the working of the pump. Probably such a breakdown could be repaired, but it is clear that we should be faced with I the prospect of being without water for a considerable timej or that to shorten the period of drought we should have to instil a temporary plant, if perchance one were instantly procurable, at an expense which would doubtless be N considerable. Further, since tha repair will rot remove the cause of the trouble, which is chiefly the fact that the pump baa to carry a much bigger load than that for which it was designed, it is clear that the same trouble would be likely to recur again and again, M with the attendant drought and « expense each time. These con- r siderations (and they can be veri- • " fied by any ratepayer who will take the trouble) will convince the enquirer of the truth of the proposition you doubt—that the water facilities in the town are imperilled as things now stand. I think you introduce confusion .;.'; when you refer to the question of supervision of the building of the reservoir by Mr Lockie Gannon' or any other qualified engineer, saying "ratepayers would certainly prefer a professional engineer to be put in charge." Our experience has not uniformly been that such supervision is an advantage; nor do yon mention any qualification possessed by Mr Lockie Gannon in this con* ■ nection that is not possessed by oar own waterworks engineer. You say our waterworks engineer has no time, but a consuling engineer ."* comes near the work very little; he gives not more time to inspec- . 1 tion than such an overworked bat M keen and enthusiastic man as our waterworks engineer wufald manage I to give. However, the whole matter is beside the point. There will be a general election of the Council in three months' time; the old Council will barely (if at all) have time to make a start; the matter must be decided by the new Council, and hence may be regarded as entirely left open for the present. There is only one serious difficulty, and that is the special rating area. That the action of the Mayor and Council in this respect involves injustice Is too clear' Jo require argument, but I would X 1 submit to the consideration of ratepayers that this injustice, though real, is not so great as to justify, them in rejecting the proposal. At v present our overworked engine has frequently to stop jumping in order to work the air compressors; the result is that the engine ia working the air compressor during nearly half the time—a great losa in fuel and labour. With the load on the pump reduced'nearly to one-half, as it would be by the erection of the new reservoir, the engine could easily work both air com* pressor and pump together, thus V saving nearly half the fuel and '• r ' labour, which cost now £BSO per annum. Hence to estimate' the saving effected by the proposed reservoir at £l5O per annum is not unreasonabe; this must exceed, the coat of interest and sinking fund on the new loan; hence the rates shouid not be mcreaed.. Moreover, the new principal (proposed by the Council) of charging for water will produce over £650 per annum, while expenses, including payment of interest and sinking fund, are £IOSO. There is thus left £450 to be paid by means of special rate—or the Town Board area will then carry a specisl burden of £460 (to which must be add:d the interest on the new loan if not covered by the saving effected by the new reservoir) instead of the special burden of £7OO it previously carried; and as the consumption of water increases, as it is doing rapidly, this special burden on the Town Board area will continuouly decrease. Thus, if » the present Council have dene evil tow* -* Town Board ratepsyers on the one band they have done a measure ot good to them on the other—doubtlesa by an oversight.

The matter thus resolvos itselfi Tbe action of tbe Council baa been in the direction of making a more equitable adjustment of the water charge* (however indefensible their decision regarding tbii rating area)| tbe new work its financially profit, able or at leaat nut burdensome] tbe work is urgent if we desire to save rapid deterioration and perhaps expensive breakdowns. Io these circumstances I think tbe ratepayers ■ would be well advised to grant this loan.

There are many other advantages accruing from the construction of the proposed reservoir, but this letter is already too long. 1 would just mention, however, the past

■aving of water which would be by the abolition of the presj] sure reducing valve, which is at present a source of great waste. It is a decided mystery time why His Worship the Mayor does not explain the above matters to the ratepayers, when ha is (or ought to be) closely acquainted with all the facts, and why he does not publish such part of the reports as make it clear to ratepayers how much they stand to loss by rejection of this loan, and why it Bhouli be left to private individuals to have to go to the trouble of looking into some of the facts and figures of the case and endeavouring to expound them. If this loan proposal falls through, it will be due to the injustice of the Mayor and Council in drawing the boundary of the special rating area, and to their apparent notion that the ratepayers, like so many children, will accept their opinion without any exposition of facta on which they may judge tor themselves.—l am, etc., H. G. R. MASON.