South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2344, 21 September 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1880.

If a well constructed harbor is of vital importance to a seaport like Timaru, an abundance of water is equally essential to its prosperity as a commercial centre. Water, fresh, pure, and wholesome, is as indispensible to the growth of commerce and manufactures as it is absolutely necessary to cleanliness and health. Our local waterworks have Veen commenced at a favorable time. Business has lately been at a tolerably low ebb, and the expenditure during the ensuing 12 months, of £15,000 in labor will have a salutary and revivifying effect on the trade of the district. By

the time this money is expended the reticulation of the town with water pipes will be complete:!, and the constant stream will doubtless open up new and reproductive paths for the small but enterprising capitalist. The present water scheme has not been entered into without forethought. The advantage of water supply ou the one hand and increased taxation on the other have been carefully weighed. Nothing has been done precipitately ; the cost has been well calculated, and it remains to be seen whether the popular judgment has been right or wrong. The carrying out of the scheme will be facilitated by the circumstance that the hcadworks or main water-shed, arc already constructed, and only require a slight overhauling in order to be made immediately available. The foundations of the concrete embankment have to ho patched in places, or rather extended further into the rock, and a variety of repairs and improvements embracing a lower dam to prevent the washing away of the soil behind the bank of the overflow, arc about to be carried out. The water will be carried through the gorge and down to the reservoir, partly along the open race already constructed, partly in earthenware pipes, and over the gullies and creeks in hollow iron flaming supported ou trestles. In this way the distance between the head works and the reservoir will be materially lessened. The reservoir, which is two and a half miles from (own, is capable of containing 5,380,000 gallons, or three months supply, so that even in a severe summer there is no liklihood of the inhabitants suffering. Prom the reservoir the water will be convoyed in 14 inch iron pipes to town. The fall is ample, and it is estimated that in the lower parts of the town the pressure will be 108 lbs to the square foot. By the employment of wronght-irou flumes and syphons at such places as the Otipni creek, Briggs’ gully, and Graham’s leasehold, several miles of a detour will be obviated. The mains will be laid along the Great North road, and provision will bo made at the various crossings for connections, so that the suburbs can be supplied as population extends intoriorwards. The supply to begin with will be one and a half million gallons per day, but this quantity can if necessary bo largely augmented without any additional works. In fact the aim of the promoters has been to provide against future emergencies, either in the way of a drought, or the increasing demands of a rapidly growing population. They have acted on the adage that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, and if the engineer’s estimates turn out to be reliable, twelve mouths hence the burgesses of Timaru will be able to congratuate themselves on the completion of one of the must ample and effective water supply schemes in the Colony.,