THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 170, 11 August 1909, Page 4

THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEPARTMENT.

NEED FOR EXTENSION. The electrical engineer, Mr. H, Black, has strongly urged the necessity for extension of the municipal electric lighting and power supply .plant, but it has been decided not to .proceed with the matter at present. Councillor Browne, chairman of the Electric Lighting Committee, has had the following report of .Mr. iilaek's placed at the disposal of the Press, with a view of showing the ratepayers (and, therefore, the owners) the true position of affairs. Tile report is dated July (ith, 1009:

EXTENSIONS. j Since my last report we have hail a further increase in load, the maximum recorded being 188 kilowatts. This is not a regular load, but we have had it oil one occasion, and it may lie equalled or exceeded at any time, and with new connections coming on steadily as at present 4111 increased load is to be expected. 1 would like it to be clearly understood that 1 do not advise tiiat any connection that is likely to pay should be declined. That, i' consider, would I* a very great mistake. Wo should take every .customer that we can get, but no'.time should be lost 111 installing more .power to meet the steadily increasing demand. We have averaged over 120 new connections annually since starting, and this rate of increase is being maintained at the present time.

EARNING POWER OF PLANT. The addition of the 00 kilowatt set, which was put into service about eighteen months ago, just doubled the capacity and earning power of the department, inid the plant that we now have installed will easily earn £4OOO per annum. An extra generating set will add very little to the running cost, and if a 200-kilo-watt set is put ill the earning power of the plant will be more than douh! I. and when fully loaded should brin • ... between £BOOO and £9OOO. 'this would not lie obtained at once, but an annual increase of nearly £IOOO may be reasonably looked for. If the above ligures are realised, it will be necessary to instill another set in about five years' time.

WATEII KEQUUIED. Tile .addition of 2uu kilowatts necessarily means an increase in the water required. The existing tunnel is all that is necessary for this set, .provided a weir is erected at the intake. The weir would not be required at once, as after the larger set is installed we will be using \ery little more water than at present, but with increasing load it would probubly be needed in about two years' time. With the present machine running 011 full load we take, approximately, about 2000 cubic feet of water per minute, and with this load the Joss of head in the tiimi I is about 18 inches, and nearly 8 feet in the pipe lilies. A 200-kilowatt set would require about 2.100 cubic feet per minute, and this, <iddcd to the present quantity, gives a total of about 4500 cubic feet per .ute for all the sets on lull load. This quantity of water flowing would cause a loss of head of about four feet in the tunnel, and to meet tjiis and maintain the present working head a weir about four feet in height would be required at the intake. 1 have advised that a larger pipe line be put in, live feet in diameter at top tapering to four feet «t the lower end. This would serve for two 200kilowatt sets and with both on full load the loss of head would be less tlmil two feet in the pipe line. If in the future a. second 200-kilowatt set is installed, and tile two sets are required to l-un in conjunction with the existhg machines, a storage -reservoir will be required to assist the tunnel during the peak of the load, say for three or four hours ,011 winter cvenhgs. This, of course, is looking a good way ahead, but all the, above should be considered in designing any extensions. PIIESENT KEQI'IItEMEXT;!.

All that is required at present is turbine and generators, switchboard panels, tail race, pipe line aud pipe head works, consisting of settling chamber Miuir, large strainer rack and sluices. In usigning this part of the work, it t might l>o well to make some provision for lonnecting to a reservoir when that becomes necessary. In'arranging switchboard extension it would probably he best to place this at the north eiid of tne machine room. This would necessitate a small addition to the buildng, just wide enough for the board. 1 am not sure that the question of wa\s and j means is exactly part of my department, bul beg to offer some suggestions; but 'before doing so would lik t . to give a resume of operations to date, and in this coiini'clton I have made out some figures showing the progress made. Xo. 1 shows expenditure on account of loan. When we started running in IMHi the cost of the installation was, in round Jigures, £14,500. Jn the following year nearly .1801)0 was spent in extending private lighting lines. During the second year (ending March, 100, Si, the 00-kiJowatt generating set was installed, which, witii switchboards and pip;* lim-, cost £.{3oi), while further extensions und connections to private lighting lines cost £1001). Last year's expenditure, amounting to £3300, was made up with duplicate transmission line 11000", cottage and sundries 1000, private lighting £ISOO, of which 1000 was expended on Fitzrov extension. Over .1-100 lias also been spent on street lighting since we started running. The total cost of the works to date, including work done aud material -used since March 31st last, amounts to £2-1,500. If stock on imml is added to this it brings the total expenditure to 125,700, leaving 11250 of last loan unexpended. A'os. 2 and 3 show rate at which customers have been added and annual output in units respectively. From list No. 4it will be Keen that there was a. loss of about liiUO on working account; at the end of March, 1007. The two following years show a balance over working expenses and interest of £1543, which, less previ--1 ous loss, leaves a credit balance of to which, if we add current consumption for March, and arrears due for current £2(io, gives a total prolit to date of £1543 for current supplied, plus prolit on sales 107- ClOlit. These figures show a very ry rate ol progress, both in consumers an<l revenue received. A lighting station is not generally expected to begin to pay until it has been running for about three years, aud this is especially the case where heavy initial expenditure is entailed in developing water.power. Deducting value on the stock on hand, and amounts receivable for current and goods sold, the cash on hand amounted to 1014. 'So far no allowance has been made for depreciation, inn the profits to date are available for that, and I would recommend that a separate account be kept for this department, and all prolits on working account used for extensions while required for that purpose. As soon as there is a balance over these requirements it be devoted to re-payment of electric lighting loans.

FUTURE EXXKXSIOX. For the next fcnv years all casli .available will be re<|iiired for extensions, anil an overdraft will be necessary part ol the time. If these extensions are taken in lw.ul at once the present financial year will be ended before any payments boconie due, and before the work is completed we will be aoont through the next veal', so that the amount estimated on slieet No. (i will probably be available. On sheet No. li I have allowed .CMilil for material for private lighting, which will he miuiral as new connections are put on. We have 40 meters in stock, which wili probably all be in us,, three or four months before an indent order can arrive. Some special *iz > meters are also required for motors 10-der. ele. Several large transformers

jre r:'i|nired aNo for these motors. Our sioek of insulator.s is getting low, and as these have to be imported it would lie well to plaee an order at oncc. We have a good stock of wires and cables and some poles on hand, so with the above additions should be able to meet, a in- ordinary demand for some time to com;'. I have not -made all- estimate of (n<t of the hydraulic part of extension, as iha l is ill the borough engineer'* hands.

KnU'KBAX EXTENSIONS. I would like to urge a reconsideration of extensions asked for Fitzroy and

Vogeltown. The revenues iu each case should -warrant the expenditure. It may be urged that, if we are near our limrt, the balance should be kept for consumers in the borough, but seeing that we havo now been running three years and a-half everyone has had an opportunity to connect, and no one can complain if wo accept a return where it is offered.

No. i Connections. Increase March 31, 11)00 ..41 41 ■ March 31, ISO 7 ..107 1211 March 31, 11)08 .. 30-2 135 March 31, 1909 .. 417 115 To date .. .. 451 No. 3.—Current Recorded at SubStation. Private Street 1 March 31. Lighting. Lighting. Total. 190(1 .. 930 9,070 10,000 1807 .. 43,470 70,390 115,800 1908 .. 110,400 70,110 192,-510 1909 .. 180,240 88,140 208,380 No. 4.—Working Account.—Current. March 31. Receipts. Expenditure. £ s. d. £ 8. d. 1900 -83 0 8 159 8 0 1907 .. 1128 0 2 1311 9 8 1908 .. 2300 5 10 1070 12 11 1909 3341 10 2 2428 7 2 0859 3 2 5575 18 3 Debit balances: 1900, £7O 8s; 1907, £lB3 3s. Credit balances: 1908, £029 12s lid;' 1909, £913 3s Od; leaving a total credit after deducting the debit balances mentioned of £1283 4s' lid. No. s.—Connection Charges and.Sales. March x 31 Expenditure. Receipts. Stock. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 11)00 10 11 2 1 10 0 9 4 2 11107 275 1!) 2 12(1 10 4 138 18. 4 1908 398 3 2 317 810 38 14 4 1909 1381 10 0 9.32 3 5 389 1 0 2000 12 0 1397 12 7 575 18 4 On this account there was a debit balance at March 31 of £93 Is 7d.

Arrears on goods sold, etc. .. £IOO 410 Less dr. balance 93 1 7 I'rolit on curlent sold .. 1283 4 11 Arrears .. 18 15 3 March consumption estimated 241 12 5 £IO4O 15 10 Xo. 0. —Estimates. Requirements for extensions: £ Meters, transformers, etc .. 800 Land purchased—balance .. 475 Turbine, generators, Switchboard and tail race 2500 Contingencies 220 4000 Estimates of aniounU available for 'above:- £ Halance of loan unexpended .. liso lhi lance from working account. 1000 .'3OO Balance from working account, 1010 estimated 1300 lialance from working account, 1011 estimated 2000 t I 5350 THE COST OF EXTENSION -Ml!. KENDALL'S KIiPOItT. Mr. A. 11. Kendall, the borough cngi:ic<t. supplied the following n-poit on July (!th:-~ I have tin- honor to report upon the present -works ami also work' necessary, .-it Mnngui-ei to give increased water power. I'liliSHXT TCXXEL. The actual power available from the, present tunnel, if the contraction at tile Manganiahoc river is removed, will be 307-h.p.; or. after allowing fo r loss to friction in the tunnel itself, and through the two existing 21 inch mains 307-h.p.; and minus the further loss due to tlie 15-inch water supply main 354-h.p. Deducting the 2-10-h.p. now being used, this only leaves 114 h.p (from which latter total an allowance wouid require to be made for friction in any new main put down), and this would probably make the available remaining h.i). veil below 100-li.p. I'KESEXT INTAKE,

I he cost of a weir near the present intake will be altogether out of proportion to the benefit*} to be derived, as this is one of the worst places in the river to construct such a weir, and the cost, owing to the length required, if it were desired to obtain any useful height, would be great. .Such cost would go a loug way towards an auxiliary supply such as is here proposed, including a weir or dajn ten feet high in the position suggested. This would give an elevation of-over twenty-five feet higher than the present intake water level. j ■PKOWREI) WOUKS. .

In my opinion tile best way to obtain the extra power desired will* be on the lines shown and sell-erne laid down in | the plans submitted herewith. These | plans provide for the construction of a dam at the most suitable point in tlie Waiwakaiho river within comparatively cany reach of t lie present power-house, and where the water, supply can.be obtained at the aforementioned higher elevation. From this point the water is proposed to be carried in an opon or closed conduit for « distance of about S'/, chains, and thence by a tunnel about thirty feet in sectional area and 44 chains in length, and with a "radical of 1 in 2800 and approximating the section shown o-j plans herewith, which will give a discharge of over 83 feet per second, over or nearly thiee times the capacity of the present tunnel. Of ermine, this greater capacity will mean a larger tunnel at greater tost. After leaving the tunn'ei the water is proposed to lie carried throiHi a conduit about 21 chains in length, following the.- contour of the slopimr hillfc'ide until it enters a large settling reservoir with a capacity of over 300,000 gallons lilted with proper and sufficient screens for clearing the water of leaves itml other mutter liable to be detrimental to the turbines below. Provision is also made for the connection of pipes of the.required diameter with the .settling reservoir and the power-house I also beg to submit estimates' of tin cost of the different works.

ESTIMATES. . . , £ a. d. Mow* • ■ •. .. 250 00 , Covered conduit 1080 0 0 Tunnel, 2(101 feet .. 7000 0 0 MHnholes .. .. 250 0 0 riates and valves .. 300 0 0 Settling reservoir .. 1008 0 0 Weir or dam ... 1750 0 0 I'.afieincnts .. ~ 200 0 0 l'.iigiiiecring, etc. .. (100 0 0 12,408 0 0

Pi|>e lilies. !i!)(|ft \yj. main, oft di;imeter .. JHy,-) o o 00. 4ft diameter .. 2228 0 0 Dt. 3ft diameter ... ■ Hg.i 0 0

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