SILENT EFFICIENCY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 291, 29 February 1928, Page 16

SILENT EFFICIENCY

SEWERAGE WORKS EXCITES NO CRITICS TWO VISITS IN NINE YEARS With so many civic institutions under the frost of criticism, it is refreshing to realise that there is one undertaking in the city, an undertaking that cost many thousands of pounds, and is of primary importance, that year in and year out runs its own peaceful and efficient way. This is the sewage discharge station at Orakei. TN the past nine years the station lias been visited officially only twice. The first of these visits occurred two years ago, and was after a lapse of seven years. The second visit was made by members of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board yesterday, about a dozen members forming the party. For nearly 14 years this station, the culminating point in a system that has cost over £ 500,000, has carried out its duties truly and well, albeit without, publicity, complaint, comment —almost without mention.

A COMPLAINANT CONFOUNDED There was a complaint once. It was made by a near-by resident some time in 1914, a week or so after the official opening of the works. The complaint was as to the smell rising from the plant, and permeating the neighbourhood. As it was not until almost exactly two months and three weeks after the lodgi~~ of the complaint that the first sewage was turned into the new plant, the complainant was rather severely confounded. Nowadays the plant deals with anything from 5,000,000 gallons to 70,000,000 gallons of sewage daily, and perhaps the best tribute to the effi • ciency of Mr. E. T. Walk- -ineer in charge, and his small staff is that the plant is rarely mentioned, while visits of inspection are almost nonoccurring.

Briefly, the outlet deals with the sewap"' and drainage from some 17,588 acres in the-city, Mt. Eden, Mt. Albert, Newmarket, One Tree Hill and Tamaki, while it is proposed to include portion of Mt. Roskill and Ellerslie Town districts. The population served is about 146,000. In addition to the present loans Qf £505,500, the board can raise another £94,500 if it is required, and the accumulated amount in the sinking fund at present amounts to some £ 58,000. The working finances are drawn from the districts concerned, and the amount called for last financial year was £32,517 Is 4d, of which the city's share was a little more than £24,000. The present plant, in addition to that at Orakei, includes S miles 47.3 chains of main sewer, 14 miles 70.5 chains of branch sewers, and four pumping stations on low levels. The main outlet sewer discharges into the harbour at a point 1,213 feet from the shore. Yesterday’s party was conducted by Mr. M. J. Bennett, chairman of the Works Committee, and included a number of city councillors, representatives of One Tree Hill and Newmarket, and the engineer. Mr. H. H. Watkins. Considering the class of work done, the first impression was of the cleanliness of the out-fall station. The huge volume of drainage was seen passing through the mechanically operated screens, which pick out all paper, wood and similar materials which might cause a nuisance in the harbour. This collection is mixed with fine coal, *ind

is burned in the station furnaces, which provide steam for driving the plant. TIME AND TIDE—AND WATER Passing through the screens the drainage is delivered into three tanks, surmounted by a concrete promenade a quarter of a mile long, which will eventually form portion of the waterfront roadway. These tanks hold 7,800,000 gallons, and two tides a day enable them, under ordinary circumstances, to discharge with the ebbing tides, carrying the effluent away to sea. At present most of the sewage water starts its period of usefulness in the city dams at the Waitakeres, and during the dry weather the daily discharge has been in the neighbourhood of between 5,000,000 and 7.000,000 gallons daily. In wet weather the storm water enters the system in large quantities, and the record through in one dav has been about 70,000.000 gallons. With such a quantity the water joins the company of time and tide. and the 7.500.000 gallon tanks stays not its soing.