NORTH SHORE’S WATER SUPPLY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 104, 23 July 1927, Page 9

NORTH SHORE’S WATER SUPPLY

CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE TWO SCHEMES DISCUSSED The question of augmenting the water supply to North Shore was raised at a meeting of the North Shore Boroughs Water Board yesterday, when the water commission’s report was discussed. The chairman, Mr. E. Aldridge, said the water supply would have to be augmented in the near future and the board would shortly have to consider ways and means of doing this. At present Lake Takapuna served a population of 21,000, and it was estimated that in 1940 the population would be 54,200 and 138,000 in 1966, so it was obvious the present supply would be quite inadequate in the near future. Consequent upon the suggestion in the report that the three Takapuna pumping stations should be replaced by one plant the board approved the proposal and decided to placd the scheme before the local bodies concerned for their opinion. WAITAKERE OR RANGITOPUNI A long discussion over relative merits of two schemes for increasing the water supply as proposed by tlio commissioners, ensued. It was suggested that the board should obtain its water supply from the Auckland City Council’s reservoir at Waitakere or should construct its own waterworks at Rangitopuni, about 15 miles north ■of Auckland. The commission pointed out that while this scheme would supply water 2d cheaper a thousand gallons, than was possible if Waitakere were utilised the water would not be so pure as that obtainable from Nihotupu. Mr. F. E. Powell, the board’s engineer, said that he wished to correct the misapprehension regarding the quality of the water from Rangitopuni. He assured the board that water from that stream was thoroughly clean and was satisfactory in every way. The engineer was instructed to prepare further data with reference to the Rangitopuni proposal before any definite move was made to augment the water supply.