PUKEKOHE'S WATER SUPPLY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 73, 23 August 1915, Page 4

PUKEKOHE'S WATER SUPPLY.

Foreman's Report.

At the Borough Council meetins on the 11th inst., Mr Wvatt, the Water work a Foreman, presented hie annual report as follows:

The new Cambridge producer has now been in use for some weeks, and is giving sati"faction. By installing this class of generator, which burns coal, considerable saving will be effected. Based upon last year's figures it will mean a saving of £6B for an outlay of £llO, the cost of the producer. We are now busy overhauling the old producer, which, when completed, will be ready in case anything goes wrong with the one in use. The main has been extended 900 feet in Wellington street (Bilkey's road), with necessary servicee, etc. I would again be<? leave to draw the Council's attention to the loss which is taking place in the waterworks through the leak in the break-pressure valve, also through the non-existence of sufficient stopvalves on toe reticulating mains as pointed out in my last year's annual report, which dealt very extensively with both evils. During the past year, for a period of six month?, 1 kept a careful record of all water pumped, of expenses at the power bouse, also of water used through sources other than by metar. The result of the above investigation 1 beg to submit as fullows:-Water pumped for the six months ending September 30th, 1914, 5,364,000 gallons; water accounted for by meter, evaporation, Fire brigade practices, emptying water mains for tappirg for service coaections, etc., water used at power house for running plant and other sources, 2,593,750 gallons, showing a loss of 2,770,270 gallons through the leak in break pressure valve for the six months; and as the cost of pumping works out at 8d per 1000 gallons, this means a lots per six months of '£92 6s Bd. The above figures are based on the maximum consumption where the water docs not pass through meters.

Loss No. 2.—lf sufficient water was available to run the pumps continuously, the same as the compressor, the cost of pumping wuuld be considerably reduced, and I would beg to point out in place ot 5,364,000 gallons being pumped for six months, it the pumps were run continuously, the same as the compressor, the amount of water that would Lave been pumped would be 8,217,000 gallons, at practically the same cost; which would reduce the cost of pumping to 5d per 1000 gallons, a saving of 3d per 1000 gallons, which on last year's figures would have meant a saving of £77 11?. On the motion of Cr Pattrson the report was recieved, Mr Wyatt to be thanked for the same.

Cr Patterson suggested that in view of the loss of water a new break-prcsmre valve should be purchaced forthwith, but the Mayor explained that it was really the system that was at fault as a new valve would not overcome the difficulty. A new reservoir at. a lower level than the existing one was the only remedy.